WEBVTT 00:00:00.900 --> 00:00:03.419 Welcome back to the Buffalo Bread Podcast, here 00:00:03.419 --> 00:00:06.379 with Dan again. Thank you, Dan, again, for my 00:00:06.379 --> 00:00:10.019 brief hiatus while you managed with a cast of, 00:00:10.019 --> 00:00:13.980 dare I say, knuckleheads in my absence, who we 00:00:13.980 --> 00:00:16.260 very much appreciate coming on the show. We are 00:00:16.260 --> 00:00:18.100 looking at the Bills returning from the bye. 00:00:18.539 --> 00:00:21.579 After a bye in Sean McDermott's time with the 00:00:21.579 --> 00:00:24.239 team, he is 8 -0, looking to improve that as 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:26.620 9 -0 on the road against the Carolina Panthers 00:00:26.620 --> 00:00:31.010 in a rare 1 p .m. kick. Dan, how we doing? I'm 00:00:31.010 --> 00:00:32.710 doing good sir, it's great to have you back on 00:00:32.710 --> 00:00:36.909 the pod. Following up on your thanks to our guest 00:00:36.909 --> 00:00:39.750 hosts, I just wanna also offer my thanks to Kujo, 00:00:39.869 --> 00:00:42.390 Logan, Brandon, appreciate you having on the 00:00:42.390 --> 00:00:45.850 pod. Less so Brandon, he was very braggadocious 00:00:45.850 --> 00:00:48.929 about his first place Patriots. But Logan Cujo, 00:00:48.969 --> 00:00:50.770 you guys are solid. We appreciate it. Can't wait 00:00:50.770 --> 00:00:53.130 to have you back on. Brandon, if your team keeps 00:00:53.130 --> 00:00:55.310 winning, we may not be friends anymore. So there 00:00:55.310 --> 00:00:58.570 is that, in fact. That was the breaks. No, JJ, 00:00:58.750 --> 00:01:00.570 we've talked about it a bunch. We're fortunate 00:01:00.570 --> 00:01:03.119 to have. a bunch of great guest hosts that just 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:06.260 love football, love talking the sport, and they're 00:01:06.260 --> 00:01:08.560 always great when they come on no matter what 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:10.780 their rooting interest is. So it was great we 00:01:10.780 --> 00:01:12.819 had these three guys come on, but we're excited 00:01:12.819 --> 00:01:14.569 to have you back. Where do you want to start? 00:01:14.629 --> 00:01:16.950 We've got a bunch of stuff on the bills by you 00:01:16.950 --> 00:01:19.129 and I didn't get to unpack. We got a game against 00:01:19.129 --> 00:01:22.310 the Panthers coming up. Trade, deadline, eminent 00:01:22.310 --> 00:01:24.709 here in the first week of November. Lots of stuff 00:01:24.709 --> 00:01:26.209 to get to. What do you want to talk about, man? 00:01:26.950 --> 00:01:29.489 Can we together, because we haven't had a chance 00:01:29.489 --> 00:01:31.709 to do this, can we dissect each side of the ball 00:01:31.709 --> 00:01:35.049 and then talk about some kind of pressing things 00:01:35.049 --> 00:01:37.969 about the timing of the season and cap commitments, 00:01:38.189 --> 00:01:39.510 those sorts of things. So you want to start with 00:01:39.510 --> 00:01:41.930 the offense? Yeah, let's start with the offense, 00:01:42.090 --> 00:01:44.670 because that seems to be the topic de jour. What's 00:01:44.670 --> 00:01:47.329 the French word for topic of the week? Because 00:01:47.329 --> 00:01:50.590 de jour is of the day, but man, we have been 00:01:50.590 --> 00:01:55.170 as a... De week. Oh my God. De week. We have 00:01:55.170 --> 00:01:58.109 been absolutely obsessing over the ills of this 00:01:58.109 --> 00:02:00.750 offense. And I think JJ, it's because this was 00:02:00.750 --> 00:02:02.209 not the side of the ball that was supposed to 00:02:02.209 --> 00:02:04.969 be the problem. We knew coming into the season, 00:02:05.090 --> 00:02:07.609 the defense was going to have its growing pains. 00:02:08.129 --> 00:02:09.810 It might take a little bit longer to come together. 00:02:09.969 --> 00:02:13.849 Lots of new young parts being, um, being installed 00:02:13.849 --> 00:02:17.110 into this defense. The offense was supposed to 00:02:17.110 --> 00:02:19.610 be where the continuity was a couple of tweaks 00:02:19.610 --> 00:02:22.189 here, a little bit of, a little bit of oil here, 00:02:22.189 --> 00:02:24.830 but the machine of the offense was supposed to 00:02:24.830 --> 00:02:27.349 run as it was intended. And the past couple of 00:02:27.349 --> 00:02:30.169 weeks, JJ against, I mean, let's just say it. 00:02:30.270 --> 00:02:32.870 teams with better dudes on the defensive side 00:02:32.870 --> 00:02:35.310 of the ball and teams that were pretty well coached, 00:02:35.349 --> 00:02:37.330 stymie the spills often. So I think that's a 00:02:37.330 --> 00:02:40.310 great place to start. Yeah. And I think that 00:02:40.310 --> 00:02:43.090 the thing that I thought of and I've been texting, 00:02:43.449 --> 00:02:46.349 I'll say to anybody that will listen is that 00:02:46.349 --> 00:02:48.610 the everybody eats mentality only works if James 00:02:48.610 --> 00:02:50.590 is cooking, right? Like if James cooks, cooks, 00:02:51.210 --> 00:02:53.879 then everyone can eat. Nobody's eating if he's 00:02:53.879 --> 00:02:56.479 not cooking. It's so good to have you back. It's 00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:57.740 so good to have you back. Well, I mean, we got 00:02:57.740 --> 00:02:59.740 these awesome pun opportunities. Why aren't we 00:02:59.740 --> 00:03:02.900 taking advantage of them, people? But it's absolutely 00:03:02.900 --> 00:03:05.479 true that if any time that the Bills this season 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:09.750 have... reserved him or held him out and not 00:03:09.750 --> 00:03:12.669 giving him his touches, the whole offense grinds 00:03:12.669 --> 00:03:15.430 to a halt. It's three and outs, it's punts, it's 00:03:15.430 --> 00:03:17.090 turnovers while they're trying to force balls 00:03:17.090 --> 00:03:21.469 into triple coverage. They have to establish 00:03:21.469 --> 00:03:23.330 the run, they have to establish James Cook in 00:03:23.330 --> 00:03:25.729 the passing game, or there's just not going to 00:03:25.729 --> 00:03:28.270 be anything happening. And so in terms of the 00:03:28.270 --> 00:03:31.090 buffet line, I don't even think Kincaid stands 00:03:31.090 --> 00:03:33.689 in front of James Cook because the importance 00:03:33.689 --> 00:03:36.069 of getting James Cook moving is what's going 00:03:36.069 --> 00:03:39.030 to bring those 12 personnel, personnel two tight 00:03:39.030 --> 00:03:42.509 ends on the field, seam balls open where a safety 00:03:42.509 --> 00:03:45.289 or a linebacker is so afraid of the run that 00:03:45.289 --> 00:03:47.229 they vacate some space and then Kincaid can fill 00:03:47.229 --> 00:03:49.469 behind them. Like that's that is just the reality 00:03:49.469 --> 00:03:53.389 is unless Cook is crushing it, the Dolphins isn't 00:03:53.389 --> 00:03:55.500 going to move anywhere. And that is a. critical 00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:59.120 component that the Patriots exploited they sold 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:01.919 out to stop the run and The bills couldn't do 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:05.520 anything about it Yeah, what do you think their 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:08.310 hesitances and getting him more involved? in 00:04:08.310 --> 00:04:11.229 the passing game. I mean, that that opportunity 00:04:11.229 --> 00:04:14.069 was there against the Falcons. And to a large 00:04:14.069 --> 00:04:16.569 extent, it was there against the Patriots, too, 00:04:17.649 --> 00:04:19.410 as were the play action opportunities, which 00:04:19.410 --> 00:04:21.430 I feel like we need to unpack as well a little 00:04:21.430 --> 00:04:24.029 bit. But is it is it some of the higher profile 00:04:24.029 --> 00:04:26.290 drops Cook has had over the past few seasons? 00:04:26.470 --> 00:04:29.189 Like he has legitimately dropped like three or 00:04:29.189 --> 00:04:31.930 four touchdown balls. But he's also a guy who's 00:04:31.930 --> 00:04:33.910 proven he can get a ton of separation in the 00:04:33.910 --> 00:04:36.250 pass game too. I mean, he's elusive with the 00:04:36.250 --> 00:04:38.189 ball and without the ball in his hands. He's 00:04:38.189 --> 00:04:41.870 a plus route runner for a running back. I mean, 00:04:42.050 --> 00:04:44.589 is it the drops? Is it? They're worried about 00:04:44.589 --> 00:04:47.189 the wear and tear. Why aren't they involving 00:04:47.189 --> 00:04:49.230 Cook more in the passing game out of the backfield, 00:04:49.290 --> 00:04:51.949 do you think? I mean, just my opinion is that 00:04:51.949 --> 00:04:55.129 it's twofold. It's one, his route running is 00:04:55.129 --> 00:04:57.589 good. We know it's good, but it might not be 00:04:57.589 --> 00:04:59.329 ideal. They're seeing things in practice that 00:04:59.329 --> 00:05:01.870 are discouraging them from using him in past 00:05:01.870 --> 00:05:04.750 concepts, more significant past concepts. What 00:05:04.750 --> 00:05:06.750 we know from Cook is he's awesome at dump downs 00:05:06.750 --> 00:05:09.009 and he's good at wheel routes. I haven't seen 00:05:09.009 --> 00:05:10.870 him do more than that. Like I've not seen him 00:05:10.870 --> 00:05:13.829 do a sideline whip. I haven't seen him do a kind 00:05:13.829 --> 00:05:16.829 of a short in or the slant type of concept. So 00:05:16.829 --> 00:05:19.370 it might be that that he's kind of limited with 00:05:19.370 --> 00:05:22.310 the tree of options and that they want to do 00:05:22.310 --> 00:05:24.589 some different things and complexity wise. And 00:05:24.589 --> 00:05:26.649 then the other thing is he's a he's a small and 00:05:26.649 --> 00:05:29.810 he's a thin bottomed kind of dude. I wonder if 00:05:29.810 --> 00:05:32.230 it's just the matter of OK, those kind of dump 00:05:32.230 --> 00:05:34.730 offs and things over the middle, especially if 00:05:34.730 --> 00:05:37.689 Josh is pressured can be. you know, get your 00:05:37.689 --> 00:05:40.170 wide receiver lit up kind of routes. And I think 00:05:40.170 --> 00:05:41.790 there may be more worried about the wear and 00:05:41.790 --> 00:05:44.350 tear, not from a too many snaps standpoint, but 00:05:44.350 --> 00:05:47.189 from a types of collision standpoint. When he's 00:05:47.189 --> 00:05:48.990 running the ball, he's in control. If he's waiting 00:05:48.990 --> 00:05:51.170 for a ball to arrive, he might get cleaned out. 00:05:51.889 --> 00:05:55.649 Yeah, no, I think that's fair. I it's just I 00:05:55.649 --> 00:05:58.529 for the life of me and that Falcons game, I couldn't 00:05:58.529 --> 00:06:01.889 figure out, especially. when Palmer goes down, 00:06:02.310 --> 00:06:06.230 when for whatever reason we are sacrificing Keon 00:06:06.230 --> 00:06:09.629 Coleman play after play to the press god that 00:06:09.629 --> 00:06:12.689 is AJ Terrell, like you're effectively down a 00:06:12.689 --> 00:06:14.949 couple of your weapons. I could not figure out 00:06:14.949 --> 00:06:17.910 why when all they were blitzing so hard. There 00:06:17.910 --> 00:06:19.930 were points where there were 11 Falcons in the 00:06:19.930 --> 00:06:23.189 box. Why you're not leaking out cook. Replace 00:06:23.189 --> 00:06:28.230 the blitz with the ball. I know, dude. To your 00:06:28.230 --> 00:06:30.689 point about route concepts, in that particular 00:06:30.689 --> 00:06:32.730 case, when you're looking for that hot route 00:06:32.730 --> 00:06:35.290 on the Blitz to counter the Blitz, it doesn't 00:06:35.290 --> 00:06:38.750 need doesn't need to be necessarily an exotic 00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:42.230 route, right? It just needs to be something that 00:06:42.230 --> 00:06:45.149 takes the pressure off your QB immediately and 00:06:45.149 --> 00:06:46.810 gives them an avenue to throw the ball out quickly. 00:06:47.269 --> 00:06:50.029 That's really like they can scale up, cook however 00:06:50.029 --> 00:06:52.050 they feel like they want to in this pass game. 00:06:52.589 --> 00:06:55.430 I want them to start where they were two years 00:06:55.430 --> 00:06:58.560 ago. Right? I mean, let's just get back to those 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.860 type of basic things. But they seem reluctant 00:07:01.860 --> 00:07:07.100 even to do that. I... Rigidity is the word that 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:10.899 comes to mind when they feel like they have typecast 00:07:10.899 --> 00:07:15.019 their talent in certain roles. Because Keon is 00:07:15.019 --> 00:07:19.540 six whatever, two whatever, and has the vertical 00:07:19.540 --> 00:07:22.920 leap that he has, he must be the X. Even though 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:26.779 we know his route tree, his route stems and all 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:30.439 that, lean more towards power slot. Shakir is 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:34.540 a little bit tinier, must be the slot. Dalton 00:07:34.540 --> 00:07:37.019 Kinkade, we're only going to use him on 49 % 00:07:37.019 --> 00:07:39.019 of passes because we don't think he can hold 00:07:39.019 --> 00:07:41.519 up body -wise in the blocking that we need him 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:46.120 to do. I mean, it just feels like we're not letting 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:50.040 our guys do what they're best at. service to 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:53.560 a scheme that doesn't seem to maximize what anyone 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:57.279 is best at Yeah, no, I think that there was a 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:00.139 I think a buffalo rumblings Author I forget the 00:08:00.139 --> 00:08:02.980 author's name. So I apologize for that But who 00:08:02.980 --> 00:08:06.240 who said Joe Brady coaches from a place of pure 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:08.600 hubris and I think that that is absolutely true. 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:11.939 It's It's a little bit of why Ken Dorsey didn't 00:08:11.939 --> 00:08:14.240 didn't work out here. It's this sense of like, 00:08:14.759 --> 00:08:17.199 my scheme is my scheme is good. They just need 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:20.220 to execute it. Right. Instead of I have these 00:08:20.220 --> 00:08:21.980 players, let's put them in the best position 00:08:21.980 --> 00:08:25.019 to succeed. It's I know what route concepts should 00:08:25.019 --> 00:08:27.060 look like. I know what the design of the place 00:08:27.060 --> 00:08:29.980 should be. And they just have to get it done. 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:31.720 Well, they're not getting it done. You got to 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:34.080 adapt at that point. You got to change it up. 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:36.679 Well, and the stuff that got Dorsey fired like. 00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:39.899 the running mesh, mesh routes, 80 % of the game 00:08:39.899 --> 00:08:42.679 and having three guys in route concepts end up 00:08:42.679 --> 00:08:44.500 in the same place. When you look back at Bill's 00:08:44.500 --> 00:08:47.039 film, that is happening again over these last 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:49.000 six weeks, even the games that they have won. 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:52.840 A lot of the complacency, a lot of the predictability 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:55.759 of the Dorsey scheme is now eking its way in 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:58.460 into Brady's play calling as well. I mean, this 00:08:58.460 --> 00:09:01.019 is a team that when they're in shotgun is passing 00:09:01.019 --> 00:09:04.429 80 % of the time. If you know is an opposing 00:09:04.429 --> 00:09:07.110 defense, eight out of 10 potential snaps out 00:09:07.110 --> 00:09:09.509 of shotgun, the bills are going to pass it. You're 00:09:09.509 --> 00:09:11.049 going to play those odds, and you're going to 00:09:11.049 --> 00:09:13.769 guess right. When Josh is lining up under center, 00:09:14.110 --> 00:09:16.330 they're not doing play action out of center, 00:09:16.350 --> 00:09:18.330 and they're running the ball at about a 70 % 00:09:18.330 --> 00:09:20.909 clip when Josh is under center. Again, if you're 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:22.649 an opposing defense, I'm going to play those 00:09:22.649 --> 00:09:25.730 odds, right? And they've seen these mesh concepts 00:09:25.730 --> 00:09:28.330 before. Last year, it's the exact same concepts 00:09:28.330 --> 00:09:31.110 we ran. Opposing defenses, they appear to be 00:09:31.110 --> 00:09:33.649 more ready to take away the space they know these 00:09:33.649 --> 00:09:36.289 wide receivers ultimately covet on the Buffalo 00:09:36.289 --> 00:09:40.610 Bills. It's not just about personnel. To me, 00:09:40.610 --> 00:09:43.710 it's about the reliance on aspects of the scheme 00:09:43.710 --> 00:09:46.690 that other teams, because they have coaches that 00:09:46.690 --> 00:09:50.490 get paid to stop you, are clearly honed in on 00:09:50.490 --> 00:09:52.929 and are clearly ready to stop game in and game 00:09:52.929 --> 00:09:57.190 out. Do you have a sense, is it your opinion 00:09:57.190 --> 00:10:00.029 that this is a failure, the offense specifically, 00:10:00.210 --> 00:10:02.950 play calling? Is it a failure of Joe Brady's 00:10:02.950 --> 00:10:05.009 scheme, decision making, and actual play calling? 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:09.220 Or are you of the conspiracy theorists that say 00:10:09.220 --> 00:10:12.360 that Sean McDermott wants to cover up his poor, 00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:16.539 porous defense and is demanding a ball control, 00:10:16.940 --> 00:10:21.639 15 play drive type of offense, and that's hamstringing 00:10:21.639 --> 00:10:25.419 Joe Brady's play calling flexibility? I, oh God, 00:10:25.620 --> 00:10:28.779 I really, I don't think it's the latter. I don't 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:35.299 buy into the McDermott conspiracy theory. And 00:10:35.299 --> 00:10:37.500 I'm listen, I'm not smart enough. I've watched 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:39.379 a lot of football, but I'm not smart enough to 00:10:39.379 --> 00:10:42.779 tell you like over in an overarching way how 00:10:42.779 --> 00:10:47.039 good or bad a scheme is. I do, however, understand 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:50.230 trends and I do understand sequencing. And I 00:10:50.230 --> 00:10:52.929 know within Brady's call sheet, he's got a lot 00:10:52.929 --> 00:10:56.129 of really fun stuff, formation wise, that he's 00:10:56.129 --> 00:10:59.909 been rolling out. And I know that there are wrinkles 00:10:59.909 --> 00:11:02.750 in that play sheet that he could be adding to 00:11:02.750 --> 00:11:04.750 each of these formations. We talked about it. 00:11:04.870 --> 00:11:07.450 Shoot, dude, that first play against the Falcons 00:11:07.450 --> 00:11:09.929 out of how long have you and I been asking for? 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:13.279 early down, play action shots deep down the field 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:16.120 to Palmer or to Coleman out of heavier personnel. 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:19.580 Deep digs out of heavy personnel. Well, and you're 00:11:19.580 --> 00:11:21.379 absolutely right. And it happened in that one 00:11:21.379 --> 00:11:23.500 play, and that's the only time it happened, right? 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:27.759 It did. This reminds me, now follow me, and you're 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:29.340 probably going to laud me with all the praise 00:11:29.340 --> 00:11:32.360 that you usually do for my analogies. This reminds 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:37.779 me of me early on playing Tekken 2, wanting to 00:11:37.779 --> 00:11:41.840 get to like the 17 button combination super combo, 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:46.240 but not recognizing the facts that my skills 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:48.419 wouldn't allow me to complete the four button 00:11:48.419 --> 00:11:50.679 combo, right? Like you, you're like, I'm going 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:53.120 to do the like super dragon backflip kick thing, 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:56.559 but you just don't have that capacity yet. And 00:11:56.559 --> 00:11:58.440 that feels like Joe Brady's call sheet. He's 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:02.139 got these like 17, you know, hit combos, but 00:12:02.139 --> 00:12:04.259 he's not able to complete the three hit combo 00:12:04.259 --> 00:12:07.009 that you have to build on to get there. And so 00:12:07.009 --> 00:12:11.049 he just keeps mashing the buttons, and it's sometimes 00:12:11.049 --> 00:12:13.269 as effective and sometimes not, but he's never 00:12:13.269 --> 00:12:15.950 actually able to unlock any of the super ultra 00:12:15.950 --> 00:12:18.190 combos at the end because he just doesn't have 00:12:18.190 --> 00:12:21.929 the capacity. Either his players don't, he doesn't, 00:12:22.009 --> 00:12:26.190 or both. You know, I will say this. Brady has 00:12:26.190 --> 00:12:28.730 not been a play caller in the NFL for a very 00:12:28.730 --> 00:12:31.490 long time. But we said this about when he was 00:12:31.490 --> 00:12:34.389 first hired. He's a guy who designs really good 00:12:34.389 --> 00:12:36.990 run concepts. He got a lot of credit as the passing 00:12:36.990 --> 00:12:39.970 game coordinator at LSU because there was, you 00:12:39.970 --> 00:12:42.970 know, I think like Jamar chase, Justin Jefferson, 00:12:43.269 --> 00:12:46.799 but like he's never even in Carolina. For his 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:48.720 short stint as an offensive play caller there. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:52.279 He was never able to scheme for specific guys 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:55.299 He came up with these overarching concepts that 00:12:55.299 --> 00:12:58.840 he asked his players to fit into and I think 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:02.679 what you have here is in Buffalo is the opportunity 00:13:02.679 --> 00:13:06.440 without a Stefan digs without a Without an alpha 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:08.259 wide receiver one of that wide receiver room. 00:13:08.460 --> 00:13:13.220 You've got the ability to do concept over scheming 00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:17.120 to specific talent But I think we've seen how 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:20.240 thin the margins are once opposing defenses start 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:22.980 to adjust. We clearly see that there needs to 00:13:22.980 --> 00:13:25.480 be a ball winner. There needs to be a dude that 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.659 steps up and calls for it when the time comes. 00:13:28.059 --> 00:13:31.740 But none of them want to do that in sort of service 00:13:31.740 --> 00:13:34.340 to the rest of the guys in the locker room and 00:13:34.340 --> 00:13:36.519 their perception of what the scheme and the concepts 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:39.279 are. Right. Well, and I think to add to that 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:42.620 also, the fact that teams are either loading 00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:46.100 the box or just blitzing Josh Allen mercilessly, 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:48.820 and that Joe Brady hasn't found alternatives 00:13:48.820 --> 00:13:52.230 to either of those realities. That's how Atlanta 00:13:52.230 --> 00:13:54.669 and the Patriots in two consecutive weeks were 00:13:54.669 --> 00:13:57.230 able to beat the bills. They just and they sent 00:13:57.230 --> 00:13:59.830 the house at Josh whenever they were, you know, 00:13:59.990 --> 00:14:02.409 in a situation where they felt they could. And 00:14:02.409 --> 00:14:05.090 they sold out to stop the run on early downs 00:14:05.090 --> 00:14:07.830 because the bills have what is like 79 percent 00:14:07.830 --> 00:14:10.850 of first downs are runs for the bills. It's insane, 00:14:10.929 --> 00:14:14.129 which is just so predictable. Like I I used to 00:14:14.129 --> 00:14:16.909 defend a lot of the play calling with Joe Brady 00:14:16.909 --> 00:14:18.429 last year because they'd be like, it's so predictable. 00:14:18.769 --> 00:14:21.720 But he was scoring it. record -setting rate, 00:14:21.899 --> 00:14:25.059 you know, so it was working. James Cook was regularly 00:14:25.059 --> 00:14:27.860 above four yards per carry and I was like, why 00:14:27.860 --> 00:14:31.600 break it, right? It works. But this year, what's 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:33.820 silly is James Cook is still five yards per carry 00:14:33.820 --> 00:14:36.220 average, right? Like he's still crushing it. 00:14:36.700 --> 00:14:40.580 But the first down runs have come, have been 00:14:40.580 --> 00:14:42.779 less and less successful after the first four 00:14:42.779 --> 00:14:45.799 weeks against inferior opponents, minus the Ravens. 00:14:46.019 --> 00:14:49.259 Without a doubt. And I think teams not only, 00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:51.799 I mean, point you bring up about the Blitz is 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:54.240 so key. But the fact that the Bills are facing 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:59.679 more man coverage in general is also has also 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:03.139 been something that has led to, I think, a degradation 00:15:03.139 --> 00:15:06.639 across the board for for a lot of our a lot of 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:09.259 our past catchers. Like you look at a lot of 00:15:09.259 --> 00:15:12.139 their numbers from last year, right? Man versus 00:15:12.139 --> 00:15:14.700 zone splits. Cleo Shakur is a great example, 00:15:14.700 --> 00:15:17.909 right? yards per outrun, 2 .4 yards last season. 00:15:18.309 --> 00:15:20.850 We know he's not a huge man beater, but man, 00:15:20.850 --> 00:15:24.690 he was good in zone, right? This season, yards 00:15:24.690 --> 00:15:28.370 per outrun, identical man versus zone, 1 .9 yards 00:15:28.370 --> 00:15:32.370 to 2 .1 yards, almost identical. And both are 00:15:32.370 --> 00:15:35.730 reduction from last season, mostly because Shakir 00:15:35.730 --> 00:15:38.169 is facing more man coverage at this point from 00:15:38.169 --> 00:15:40.809 opposing teams. Teams have just said, listen, 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:43.580 Your dudes can't beat our dudes on the outside. 00:15:43.659 --> 00:15:46.519 Your dudes can't beat our dudes on the slot unless 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:49.139 it's Dalton Kincaid creating a mismatch. There's 00:15:49.139 --> 00:15:52.940 just no real physical mismatch, mismatch opportunities 00:15:52.940 --> 00:15:56.399 for Brady to play with at this point. So when 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:58.100 he rolls out the same mold of what he rolled 00:15:58.100 --> 00:15:59.960 out last year, teams are not countering with 00:15:59.960 --> 00:16:03.559 man, more blitz concepts. He doesn't have a lot 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:06.929 of answers. Because I think in part there are 00:16:06.929 --> 00:16:09.909 not a lot of answers for what not a lot of answers 00:16:09.909 --> 00:16:13.990 personnel wise Yeah, and I think to those people 00:16:13.990 --> 00:16:15.870 who are like, oh my gosh, can the bills get something 00:16:15.870 --> 00:16:18.970 done at the trade deadline? There's nothing right 00:16:18.970 --> 00:16:20.429 like there's nothing out there like no teams 00:16:20.429 --> 00:16:23.509 are giving up assets that are quality young pass 00:16:23.509 --> 00:16:26.950 catchers And we don't need another washed old 00:16:26.950 --> 00:16:29.559 receiver Too many teams are still in it at this 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:31.120 point, too. I mean, that's the problem. Even 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:34.279 a team like the Saints, who everyone thinks because 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:36.720 they're 1 -6 or whatever they are, they're going 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:39.299 to start selling that squad for parts. But Kellen 00:16:39.299 --> 00:16:42.960 Moore has them playing really hard behind Spencer 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:46.299 Rattler. Brandon Staley has come up with some 00:16:46.299 --> 00:16:49.200 really funky defensive schemes there. That's 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:51.679 a coaching squad that's going to have patience 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:54.500 from ownership. They're going to be able to build 00:16:54.500 --> 00:16:57.450 what they want to build there. And they're eventually 00:16:57.450 --> 00:16:59.029 either going to see what they have with Tyler 00:16:59.029 --> 00:17:02.090 show or Chuck show. What's his name? Chuck. Chuck. 00:17:02.330 --> 00:17:03.210 They're going to see what they have with Tyler 00:17:03.210 --> 00:17:07.390 Chuck, or they're going to be in the, in the, 00:17:07.450 --> 00:17:11.309 uh, clade club, Nick, um, uh, lottery for next 00:17:11.309 --> 00:17:15.369 year. Right. Either way. They have a larvae already 00:17:15.369 --> 00:17:18.190 committed on his fifth year option. And Rashid 00:17:18.190 --> 00:17:21.130 Shahid says he wants to stay in New Orleans, 00:17:21.210 --> 00:17:23.630 even if it's on a team friendly deal. If I'm 00:17:23.630 --> 00:17:26.009 Kellen Moore, I'm like, I want those two guys 00:17:26.009 --> 00:17:29.190 as weapons for whatever new young rookie QB I'm 00:17:29.190 --> 00:17:32.130 going to be rolling out here. Right. There's 00:17:32.130 --> 00:17:34.210 just not a ton of incentive unless you're willing 00:17:34.210 --> 00:17:36.930 to give up premium draft capital for the Saints 00:17:36.930 --> 00:17:39.829 to trade any one of those guys. Not to mention 00:17:39.829 --> 00:17:43.400 that anybody anyone who has actual skill. on 00:17:43.400 --> 00:17:45.960 one of those flailing teams that you're able 00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:48.160 to get is only going to be a rental because the 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.559 bills don't have, they just paid Shakira, they 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:52.980 just paid Bernard, they just paid, they paid 00:17:52.980 --> 00:17:56.160 a lot of players who are absolutely trash so 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:59.400 far this season. And so not to say Shakira is, 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:01.700 I think that he's the one exception, but Bernard's 00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:05.720 looked terrible. Benford looked terrible. Listen, 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:08.180 Shakir's underlying metrics are not great this 00:18:08.180 --> 00:18:10.519 season. His catch rate's down. We already talked 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:13.480 about yards per outrun. That's down. His average 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:15.599 depth of target is down. He's pretty much just 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:21.319 a screen target at this point. His EPA per play 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:23.680 looks good as an outside receiver, but it's because 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:25.920 he has like a hundred of his 110 yards after 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:30.960 the catch. Exactly. And not to take that away 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:32.559 from him. That's a skill that I don't think anyone 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:35.440 really expected what he's amazing at. But it's 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:37.339 a matter of like, that's not, it's not real life. 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.799 Like his, his, any of his positive metrics are 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:44.799 kind of inflated erroneously. All that to say, 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.880 yeah, I'm, I'm worried about the offense. We 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:50.240 have to see what they, what they look like coming 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:55.140 out of the break. And then also the, the Chiefs 00:18:55.140 --> 00:18:56.900 is going to be another real test. And I think 00:18:56.900 --> 00:19:01.190 that I for one am, you know, I'm kind of in camp 00:19:01.190 --> 00:19:03.490 blues to the Chiefs if it means that you're not 00:19:03.490 --> 00:19:06.049 showing too much and like that they don't seem 00:19:06.049 --> 00:19:07.910 expertly prepared for you once you meet them 00:19:07.910 --> 00:19:09.609 in the playoffs because that just feels like 00:19:09.609 --> 00:19:11.930 that's the way it's been every season is the 00:19:11.930 --> 00:19:13.970 Bills laid on the line to beat the Chiefs during 00:19:13.970 --> 00:19:16.609 the regular season. Don't end up getting the 00:19:16.609 --> 00:19:19.490 one seed when it matters. and then see the Chiefs 00:19:19.490 --> 00:19:21.349 in Arrowhead and the Chiefs have all the answers. 00:19:22.029 --> 00:19:24.369 That's the conspiracy theory that Brandon and 00:19:24.369 --> 00:19:27.069 I indulged with a little bit is that the Bills 00:19:27.069 --> 00:19:29.509 often suck so bad right now because they they 00:19:29.509 --> 00:19:32.069 don't want to show anything to the Chiefs. They're 00:19:32.069 --> 00:19:34.630 doing what the Chiefs typically do, which is 00:19:34.630 --> 00:19:36.890 don't show anything during the regular season. 00:19:37.210 --> 00:19:39.329 Make everyone lull everyone into thinking that 00:19:39.329 --> 00:19:41.569 you suck. And then all of a sudden, and your 00:19:41.569 --> 00:19:43.509 readers rolling out some crazy stuff. But listen, 00:19:43.569 --> 00:19:47.660 the Chiefs like. The difference is Andy Reid 00:19:47.660 --> 00:19:49.640 has the ability to do that. The Bill's coaching 00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:51.640 staff has never proved that they can. Because 00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:55.579 his playbook, unlike Brady, is endless with all 00:19:55.579 --> 00:19:58.180 of those variations on all of those same multiple 00:19:58.180 --> 00:20:01.680 formations we talked about, but his ability to 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.660 tap into those and evolve those is endless. I 00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:08.980 mean, JJ, this is a team that didn't, the Kansas 00:20:08.980 --> 00:20:11.480 City Chiefs that didn't have a run game for the 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:14.119 first three or four games they played this season. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:17.259 Then all of a sudden, the second half of games 00:20:17.259 --> 00:20:19.019 that they have played to get themselves to a 00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:21.619 respectable four and three record, they're averaging 00:20:21.619 --> 00:20:25.200 150 yards per game. What does Andy Reid do the 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:28.740 minute his run game shows up? Spams play action 00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:31.460 into the playbook. Patrick Mahomes over the last 00:20:31.460 --> 00:20:36.279 four weeks is a top five QB in play action pass 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:40.089 rate, right? We have arguably the best offensive 00:20:40.089 --> 00:20:43.569 line and the best run game in the AFC and Josh 00:20:43.569 --> 00:20:46.589 Axon's play, Josh Allen's play action rate is 00:20:46.589 --> 00:20:49.990 21st in the league. Like that's always, what 00:20:49.990 --> 00:20:52.910 are, what are you hiding? Right? I mean, that's 00:20:52.910 --> 00:20:55.829 my question for people that are like Brady, Brady's 00:20:55.829 --> 00:20:57.450 just hiding stuff. He doesn't want to show anything. 00:20:57.829 --> 00:21:00.430 What do we think he realistically has to show? 00:21:03.189 --> 00:21:05.049 There's nothing. I mean, there's nothing. I think 00:21:05.049 --> 00:21:07.710 that, you know, the thing, a friend of mine was 00:21:07.710 --> 00:21:10.130 like, hey, what's this weekend look like? You 00:21:10.130 --> 00:21:12.269 know, a casual football fan was like, what's 00:21:12.269 --> 00:21:13.970 this weekend look like for the Bills? And I was 00:21:13.970 --> 00:21:15.789 like, well, you know, the three players they're 00:21:15.789 --> 00:21:18.609 getting back might not play or might play in 00:21:18.609 --> 00:21:20.369 small amounts. They're probably not in football 00:21:20.369 --> 00:21:23.490 shape quite yet or game shape. Hairston's a wild 00:21:23.490 --> 00:21:26.359 card, probably. may not get any snaps, and if 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:28.559 he does, it's going to be by committee. Oh, God, 00:21:28.619 --> 00:21:30.299 I hope he gets snaps. Yeah, I hope he does too. 00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:33.420 Gosh, we need somebody. But, you know, with all 00:21:33.420 --> 00:21:37.660 that, basically the thing I said was like, there's 00:21:37.660 --> 00:21:41.980 no secret here. Joe Brady's never actually designed 00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:44.619 a really good passing concept in a game. Anywhere 00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:48.069 he's been. He had Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson. 00:21:48.269 --> 00:21:51.529 You don't actually need to do anything when those 00:21:51.529 --> 00:21:53.190 are your outside wide receivers. When your outside 00:21:53.190 --> 00:21:55.250 wide receivers are both generational talents, 00:21:55.289 --> 00:21:57.950 right? Like you don't need to be awesome at planning 00:21:57.950 --> 00:21:59.829 or scheming guys open because we've never seen 00:21:59.829 --> 00:22:02.569 it. We've never seen it in any of his time taking 00:22:02.569 --> 00:22:06.410 over for Dorsey or being the standalone OC last 00:22:06.410 --> 00:22:10.430 year and this year so far is a concept where 00:22:10.430 --> 00:22:13.250 we're like, oh my gosh, that was perfect and 00:22:13.309 --> 00:22:16.470 It was all his plan to scrape or get that guy 00:22:16.470 --> 00:22:19.430 free. There was a couple, you know, a couple 00:22:19.430 --> 00:22:22.930 of balls here and there to concave Hawes that 00:22:22.930 --> 00:22:26.609 looked like that. But looking back at those with 00:22:26.609 --> 00:22:28.890 all 22, most of it was blown coverage. It was 00:22:28.890 --> 00:22:30.809 people who were supposed to be chasing and fell 00:22:30.809 --> 00:22:35.049 down. It was a pick play in some regards that 00:22:35.049 --> 00:22:36.890 worked successfully because the player was picked 00:22:36.890 --> 00:22:39.250 by his own teammate. You know, like it was not 00:22:39.250 --> 00:22:41.789 as much. Oh, wow, that was a brilliant concept. 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:45.380 the defense was left choosing between multiple, 00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:48.240 you know, really good looking routes. No, it 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:51.440 was, it was pretty much they got lucky. So, um, 00:22:51.500 --> 00:22:54.099 we haven't seen it yet. And, and unless he finds 00:22:54.099 --> 00:22:57.680 a way to develop that, I, I don't see a lot happening 00:22:57.680 --> 00:23:00.539 with this, this offense. If teams are, if they're 00:23:00.539 --> 00:23:02.839 not able to pivot off of what they've been doing 00:23:02.839 --> 00:23:06.019 and adapt, they're not, they're going to continue 00:23:06.019 --> 00:23:10.140 to look terrible. With Josh Allen, which is just 00:23:10.140 --> 00:23:11.880 crazy. Which is crazy to think about, right? 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:14.759 I mean, Josh is on pace for his lowest average 00:23:14.759 --> 00:23:17.579 yards per attempt of his entire career. That 00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:23.019 is insane. He is at his physical peak. More and 00:23:23.019 --> 00:23:25.440 more and more, we're asking him to look just 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:28.819 beyond, or in a lot of cases, just behind the 00:23:28.819 --> 00:23:31.200 line of scrimmage for a lot of his completions. 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:35.299 I mean, the time to roll out this super secret 00:23:35.299 --> 00:23:37.779 playbook that actually schemes for a wide receiver 00:23:37.779 --> 00:23:40.119 one would have been when we still had Stefan 00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:42.720 Diggs. But listen, this team was too busy making 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:44.759 the point that they could have won without him, 00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:47.119 right? To send him a message and then ultimately 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:50.019 ship him off. And then they haven't had any one 00:23:50.019 --> 00:23:52.480 of that caliber in the wide receiver room since 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:55.980 he left, right? But again, even when Brady had 00:23:55.980 --> 00:23:59.000 DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel and Carolina, like 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:01.980 it was a bunch of guys that clearly very different 00:24:01.980 --> 00:24:04.039 talent levels with stat lines that were almost 00:24:04.039 --> 00:24:07.079 exactly the same because of the scheme that Brady 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:12.099 was running. Concepts over maximizing core talent, 00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:15.380 right? So, I mean, listen, even if we get Chris 00:24:15.380 --> 00:24:18.819 Olave, Chris Olave is so good because he's a 00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:21.660 natural separator, but Kellen Moore moves him 00:24:21.660 --> 00:24:23.920 all over that formation. He only plays about 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:27.140 50 % or so of his snaps on the outside. Do we 00:24:27.140 --> 00:24:29.140 have the confidence that if we give Joe Brady 00:24:29.140 --> 00:24:32.099 a Chris Olave, he's going to use him as creatively 00:24:32.099 --> 00:24:35.900 across the formation as Kellen Moore is and maximize 00:24:35.900 --> 00:24:38.380 those talents? I'm not confident about that. 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:41.720 No. Well, and I think that one of the most disappointing 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:45.559 things about Keon Coleman is we're both disappointed 00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:47.279 in his usage. We're disappointed he doesn't move 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:52.220 around. I have a suspicion that it's not because 00:24:52.220 --> 00:24:54.880 the scheme is poor. I think it's because Keon 00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:58.240 Coleman is poor. I think he is such a limited 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:01.839 route runner that his snaps from anywhere other 00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:04.299 than his one position are confusing for him. 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:08.779 And that's just from watching him. And so many 00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:11.400 people are like, oh my gosh, the fades are back 00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:13.880 shoulder balls to Keon Coleman, that ain't it. 00:25:14.339 --> 00:25:16.619 You have to understand that his route tree, when 00:25:16.619 --> 00:25:20.259 you look at the advanced metrics or the charts 00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:22.480 that they show that track the actual player movements, 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:26.559 it doesn't. automatically mean that all he's 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:29.200 getting are fade balls on the outside some of 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:31.240 that is that's where he is when the ball reaches 00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:33.339 him doesn't mean he was where he was supposed 00:25:33.339 --> 00:25:35.940 to be yeah it looks like a back shoulder it looks 00:25:35.940 --> 00:25:37.900 like it but it might have been a comeback that 00:25:37.900 --> 00:25:39.960 he just didn't complete the route it might have 00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:41.980 been an in break that he just didn't get to the 00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:45.019 spot he was supposed to and so I just you know 00:25:45.019 --> 00:25:47.200 there's a lot of criticism on Joe Brady even 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:49.700 Josh Allen in some regards about you know not 00:25:49.700 --> 00:25:52.140 setting up Keon for success I just think he's 00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:56.259 bad Like that's my opinion so far in these six 00:25:56.259 --> 00:25:59.759 games of his second year in the league. I think 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:03.700 that it was a miss and not that there was anyone 00:26:03.700 --> 00:26:07.599 in that class where the Bills picked that I think 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:09.660 is like an absolute stud that they could have 00:26:09.660 --> 00:26:12.819 had. I don't think Xavier Worthy is like... exceptional. 00:26:13.079 --> 00:26:15.099 I think he's very, very fast. He's got like a 00:26:15.099 --> 00:26:17.519 59 % catch rate. Bill's fans would be killing 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:20.200 him as a body catcher, which we knew he was coming 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:22.200 out of the draft. Right. And that's what I'm 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:26.240 saying, is at that point in the draft, none of 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:28.160 the wide receivers that the Bills traded out 00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:31.339 of position to grab or the receivers taken immediately 00:26:31.339 --> 00:26:34.619 after Keon Coleman seem to be moving the needle 00:26:34.619 --> 00:26:37.079 at this point in their career either. I'd say 00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:39.440 one exception would be Lad McConkey. Oh, yeah. 00:26:39.559 --> 00:26:41.960 That's it. There you go. But that, that's the 00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:44.640 thing though, is the Bill's pick Lad McConkey, 00:26:44.859 --> 00:26:49.000 do they use him appropriately or is he always 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:50.980 in a position where he's fighting through trying 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:53.039 to be some kind of receiver? He's not because 00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:58.140 those schemes not great for him. Yeah. Man, oh 00:26:58.140 --> 00:27:02.099 my God. All right. I'm not ready. I'm not as 00:27:02.099 --> 00:27:04.359 out on Keon as you are. I'm not ready to call, 00:27:04.519 --> 00:27:07.130 put him in bus territory yet. Listen, I do think 00:27:07.130 --> 00:27:10.170 it's concerning because wide receiver is a position 00:27:10.170 --> 00:27:13.869 where early on in a player's career, you really 00:27:13.869 --> 00:27:16.450 do see how good they are. Like it does not take 00:27:16.450 --> 00:27:20.029 long for a lot of wide receivers to gear up and 00:27:20.029 --> 00:27:24.269 start playing at a top level in the league. Keon, 00:27:24.369 --> 00:27:26.190 yes, I'm concerned with how long it's taken to 00:27:26.190 --> 00:27:29.789 really see what he has to offer, but I'm not 00:27:29.789 --> 00:27:32.049 ready to be completely done with him yet. Here's 00:27:32.049 --> 00:27:34.750 what I am ready to see. I'm ready to see him 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:37.640 not be the wide receiver that gets the majority 00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:40.279 of our snap share. I'm ready to see him be the 00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:42.500 wide receiver that does not get the majority 00:27:42.500 --> 00:27:45.619 of the targets from Josh. And I am ready to see 00:27:45.619 --> 00:27:48.299 him move around the formation. Even if his route 00:27:48.299 --> 00:27:52.220 tree is still so simplified, I wouldn't mind 00:27:52.220 --> 00:27:55.000 seeing him in the slot and see how many slants 00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:57.779 he can run on back -to -back drop -backs, right? 00:27:58.039 --> 00:28:01.339 Like at some point, and we know Josh likes this, 00:28:01.549 --> 00:28:03.910 He likes a big body target in the middle of the 00:28:03.910 --> 00:28:06.670 field that can square up show numbers on a route. 00:28:06.730 --> 00:28:09.049 Right. And give him a good target can can do 00:28:09.049 --> 00:28:11.990 that. Right. I mean, those are the things I'm 00:28:11.990 --> 00:28:15.410 ready to see. I'm not yet ready to say, say, 00:28:15.410 --> 00:28:18.390 though, the key on is bussed, but I'm talk to 00:28:18.390 --> 00:28:20.690 me again after the Kansas City game and ziger 00:28:20.690 --> 00:28:24.190 worthy lights us up for 150 and two TDs. Right. 00:28:24.430 --> 00:28:26.809 then you might be talking different. Oh, I'll 00:28:26.809 --> 00:28:28.930 be screaming different. I'll be, yeah, I'll be 00:28:28.930 --> 00:28:31.130 mad. And I'll go from, I don't know anything 00:28:31.130 --> 00:28:33.250 about scheme to here's the scheme I would run 00:28:33.250 --> 00:28:35.710 JJ. Here's exactly the scheme and why they stink 00:28:35.710 --> 00:28:37.789 at it. Well, listen, man, it can't, it can't 00:28:37.789 --> 00:28:39.529 be all negative. It can't be all negative. We 00:28:39.529 --> 00:28:41.670 got to talk about a positive and that positive 00:28:41.670 --> 00:28:43.869 is Dalton Kincaid. And despite the fact, okay, 00:28:43.869 --> 00:28:45.450 this is going to be a backhanded compliment. 00:28:45.809 --> 00:28:48.250 Despite the fact that Joe Brady is only using 00:28:48.250 --> 00:28:53.009 Dalton Kincaid on a Chuck's note sheet, 49 % 00:28:53.009 --> 00:28:56.700 snapshot. Criminal criminal criminal absolutely 00:28:56.700 --> 00:28:59.619 criminal. All right. He is according to ESPN 00:28:59.619 --> 00:29:02.599 analytics and their open scores He is the number 00:29:02.599 --> 00:29:05.400 three most effective pass catcher in the league 00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:07.759 So I love ESPN open scores because it's like 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:11.920 this cool aggregator where they will take Yak 00:29:12.170 --> 00:29:14.309 They'll take your ability to get separation. 00:29:14.809 --> 00:29:17.210 They will take yards per outrun and your catch 00:29:17.210 --> 00:29:20.269 rate, and they will blend it into this comprehensive 00:29:20.269 --> 00:29:22.910 aggregated rating about where you stand as a 00:29:22.910 --> 00:29:25.089 pass catcher. And he is number three according 00:29:25.089 --> 00:29:28.470 to those scores. He is, dude, an insane 2 .9 00:29:28.470 --> 00:29:31.069 yards per outrun tied for fourth in the league. 00:29:31.509 --> 00:29:34.349 And his average separation versus both man and 00:29:34.349 --> 00:29:38.809 zone is over 3 .3 yards. It's, dude, the average 00:29:38.809 --> 00:29:40.630 for the league, just for context for our listeners, 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:44.099 Three yards you are considered very open. Two 00:29:44.099 --> 00:29:45.980 yards you're considered restricted. Anything 00:29:45.980 --> 00:29:47.920 less than two yards you're considered covered 00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:51.140 very tightly. He is regularly averaging versus 00:29:51.140 --> 00:29:54.660 any type of coverage over 3 .3 yards of separation. 00:29:54.759 --> 00:29:57.420 That's amazing. And his catch rate has gone from 00:29:57.420 --> 00:30:02.380 less than 49 % last year to 83 % this year. Like 00:30:02.380 --> 00:30:04.259 he's doing everything we thought he would do 00:30:04.259 --> 00:30:08.390 and he's literally doing it with half. half the 00:30:08.390 --> 00:30:10.670 snaps of a lot of other guys in the room. It's 00:30:10.670 --> 00:30:13.309 insane, this talent. And you could see how much 00:30:13.309 --> 00:30:16.309 they missed him in that Falcons game, too. Yeah, 00:30:16.410 --> 00:30:19.250 absolutely. I think that it's, you know, the 00:30:19.250 --> 00:30:21.430 biggest concern is Kincaid, you know, has not 00:30:21.430 --> 00:30:22.869 been a player that's proven he could stay healthy. 00:30:23.109 --> 00:30:25.769 And so you hope that this is the this is the 00:30:25.769 --> 00:30:27.109 difference, right? Like you hope the new strength 00:30:27.109 --> 00:30:30.390 and conditioning coaches are able to who may 00:30:30.390 --> 00:30:32.750 the previous regime may have been fired specifically 00:30:32.750 --> 00:30:37.490 because of Kincaid. because it was such a disappointment 00:30:37.490 --> 00:30:40.789 that he had a poor season after such an incredible 00:30:40.789 --> 00:30:43.349 rookie showing, and then it's found that he had 00:30:43.349 --> 00:30:46.390 been battling an injury all year. So yeah, we'll 00:30:46.390 --> 00:30:49.150 see how it goes from here. I think that if he 00:30:49.150 --> 00:30:51.009 can stay on the field, the Bills are in excellent 00:30:51.009 --> 00:30:54.309 shape. Injuries, man, it's always a story, and 00:30:54.309 --> 00:30:56.789 it's a huge story for the offense right now. 00:30:57.130 --> 00:30:59.029 It's a big story for the defense in a lot of 00:30:59.029 --> 00:31:03.210 ways. And you just hope that enough of these 00:31:03.210 --> 00:31:05.859 guys can return by the end of the season. to 00:31:05.859 --> 00:31:09.319 make a push if they can get there and wrestle 00:31:09.319 --> 00:31:12.339 back the first position in AFC East from the 00:31:12.339 --> 00:31:15.039 Patriots, which sounds crazy, feels crazy, right? 00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:20.460 Got it. Sucks being back in 2017. I know. Yeah. 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:23.500 I should be buying some stocks, though. I know, 00:31:23.559 --> 00:31:25.539 right? The Colts are good. The Steelers are good. 00:31:25.579 --> 00:31:27.680 The Patriots are good. It's wild. Wild times 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:30.299 to be alive. Right. Yeah. But yeah, no, I think 00:31:30.299 --> 00:31:33.579 Kincaid's a bright spot. Back one more kind of 00:31:33.579 --> 00:31:36.480 dark mark, though. Josh Allen deep passing. What 00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:41.160 are your opinions of it? It's bad and and I miss 00:31:41.160 --> 00:31:44.960 it. At least I miss his ability to do it. And 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:46.619 I mean, listen, it just looks so much easier 00:31:46.619 --> 00:31:50.440 for guys. Jalen hurts, who is a QB, who is regularly 00:31:50.440 --> 00:31:53.920 questioned for his passing prowess. I mean, just 00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:57.940 having Devonta Smith and AJ Brown just makes 00:31:57.940 --> 00:32:01.799 it look so easy. Right. Like Dak Prescott is 00:32:01.799 --> 00:32:06.319 having an MVP season. throwing moonshots to George 00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:07.839 Pickens. And don't get me wrong, he's doing way 00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:11.819 more than that. Dak is literally, for my money, 00:32:12.500 --> 00:32:14.180 playing the best that I've any QB in the league. 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:16.920 And I would include Patrick Patrick Mahomes recent 00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:19.440 offensive resurgence in there. Dak looks great 00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:23.539 playing out of his mind, right? So to me, I struggle 00:32:23.539 --> 00:32:26.259 because like, Josh doesn't have a downfield ball 00:32:26.259 --> 00:32:29.180 winner. Right. But even when he still had digs, 00:32:29.180 --> 00:32:32.119 you kind of saw some of the the chinks and the 00:32:32.119 --> 00:32:35.619 Josh Allen bombs a downfield with reckless abandon 00:32:35.619 --> 00:32:41.839 and it always works type of armor. And I think 00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:47.380 we easily blame personnel and we blame like the 00:32:47.380 --> 00:32:50.059 lack of having that deep downfield X typical 00:32:50.059 --> 00:32:52.700 threat, right? I mean, even Stefan Diggs, he 00:32:52.700 --> 00:32:54.359 was able to win downfield because of his route 00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:59.410 running and his speed. Josh... Josh has never 00:32:59.410 --> 00:33:03.450 been a first read guy. When you look at FTN, 00:33:05.150 --> 00:33:08.730 FTN has a great stats hub where they will actually 00:33:08.730 --> 00:33:12.390 break down first read, second read for a lot 00:33:12.390 --> 00:33:15.609 of QBs. It's an amazing stat hub to go through. 00:33:15.809 --> 00:33:18.190 And that particular stat is very enlightening 00:33:18.190 --> 00:33:21.130 because Josh, going all the way back to 2020, 00:33:21.490 --> 00:33:23.970 his breakout season, he only goes to his first 00:33:23.970 --> 00:33:27.529 three at about 48 % of the time, right? Josh 00:33:27.529 --> 00:33:31.369 has always shown that he needs to see guys separate 00:33:31.369 --> 00:33:34.009 and think about when his deep ball was the best, 00:33:34.309 --> 00:33:36.849 he had a guy like John Brown and John Brown was 00:33:36.849 --> 00:33:39.890 an amazing separator down the field. Why did 00:33:39.890 --> 00:33:42.890 the Bills go after Josh Palmer? Because of, despite 00:33:42.890 --> 00:33:45.190 the fact that we were all like, he's like the 00:33:45.190 --> 00:33:47.849 fourth best wide out in LA, right? Because they 00:33:47.849 --> 00:33:50.430 thought he could win with separation downfield. 00:33:51.289 --> 00:33:54.109 The whole point to land this plane and bring 00:33:54.109 --> 00:33:57.289 it home is that I think part of the problem is 00:33:57.289 --> 00:34:01.130 Josh, right? Like the way Josh, Josh doesn't 00:34:01.130 --> 00:34:07.529 throw a lot of guys open. Dan, how dare you just 00:34:07.529 --> 00:34:11.070 as a member of Bill's mafia to cast aspersions 00:34:11.070 --> 00:34:13.949 and claim that Josh Allen is not a perfect angel 00:34:13.949 --> 00:34:16.869 who does every single thing right in a football 00:34:16.869 --> 00:34:21.719 game. He's an amazing QB, but dude, if he doesn't 00:34:21.719 --> 00:34:24.199 immediately see separation on his first read 00:34:24.199 --> 00:34:27.639 downfield, he checks off of it. That's been him 00:34:27.639 --> 00:34:29.760 in his entire career. And I'm being facetious 00:34:29.760 --> 00:34:31.780 because I just think it's so funny that any time 00:34:31.780 --> 00:34:33.460 you try to have a rational conversation with 00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:36.639 another Bills fan, specifically online, right? 00:34:36.860 --> 00:34:39.179 And you're like, wow, Josh turned down these 00:34:39.179 --> 00:34:41.650 four different... throws on third down that would 00:34:41.650 --> 00:34:44.389 have been first downs, gunslinging for something 00:34:44.389 --> 00:34:46.949 better or different or bigger, or was way off 00:34:46.949 --> 00:34:49.070 target when that would have been a surefire walk 00:34:49.070 --> 00:34:52.610 in touchdown, you get absolutely blown up. People, 00:34:52.750 --> 00:34:56.289 you can't claim the savior is anything but pure, 00:34:56.469 --> 00:34:59.849 right? I know. He's making mistakes though, he 00:34:59.849 --> 00:35:03.239 is. He is. And that's the dichotomy that I've 00:35:03.239 --> 00:35:06.099 seen with him this season. He is either, he is 00:35:06.099 --> 00:35:08.539 either too hesitant to throw the deep ball and 00:35:08.539 --> 00:35:10.619 moments where it would open the game up early 00:35:10.619 --> 00:35:14.119 or late in games. He's hunting for the big play 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:17.460 and still not seeing that separation and chucking 00:35:17.460 --> 00:35:19.659 up, chucking up balls to Kian Coleman in the 00:35:19.659 --> 00:35:22.159 end zone that have no hope of being caught. It's, 00:35:22.300 --> 00:35:24.820 it's either one or the other. There's yeah. Yeah. 00:35:24.820 --> 00:35:26.739 His deep ball game is definitely off. Part of 00:35:26.739 --> 00:35:29.539 it is for sure personnel, but part of it is just 00:35:29.539 --> 00:35:32.460 the way he approaches. generally his passing 00:35:32.460 --> 00:35:37.059 game. Yeah, absolutely. All right. I think I 00:35:37.059 --> 00:35:39.599 think I'm tired out about offense, man, like 00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:43.559 the doom and gloom. I'm just too doom. I know. 00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:45.659 It's a it's a lot of doomerism right now, but 00:35:45.659 --> 00:35:48.860 for for a good reason. I mean, it's yeah, I mean, 00:35:48.940 --> 00:35:50.760 we should probably talk about the super bright 00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:52.980 spot, which is the bills top of the oh, wait, 00:35:53.059 --> 00:35:55.260 no, nevermind their bottom of the league terrible 00:35:55.260 --> 00:35:58.690 defense. Yes, we should talk about that. I mean, 00:35:58.710 --> 00:36:02.369 listen, the four -man pass rush, it's okay. It's 00:36:02.369 --> 00:36:04.409 okay. It's better than it's been in a few years, 00:36:04.530 --> 00:36:06.750 right? It's just not working in tandem with our 00:36:06.750 --> 00:36:09.170 coverage. That is a slight bright spot. Dude, 00:36:09.170 --> 00:36:11.909 listen, it is only the fourth slowest in the 00:36:11.909 --> 00:36:14.670 league time to pressure defense at 2 .8 seconds, 00:36:14.809 --> 00:36:17.949 and they're tied for sixth worst at their get 00:36:17.949 --> 00:36:21.909 -off at the snap. I mean, come on. Who needs 00:36:21.909 --> 00:36:27.570 better than worst 10 in the league? Hey. Who's 00:36:27.570 --> 00:36:30.210 that big tackle from Kentucky in the middle of 00:36:30.210 --> 00:36:32.869 the defense who you didn't want to draft, who's 00:36:32.869 --> 00:36:34.949 literally playing out of his mind? You want to 00:36:34.949 --> 00:36:37.530 chat about him? He is a bright spot. Deion Walker. 00:36:37.929 --> 00:36:41.130 I still, and for anybody listening, I promised 00:36:41.130 --> 00:36:44.989 pre -season that if he was awesome, I would hand 00:36:44.989 --> 00:36:48.550 draw a card of Josh Allen and Deion Walker walking 00:36:48.550 --> 00:36:52.190 into the sunset across the field of flowers and 00:36:52.190 --> 00:36:55.989 send it to One Bill's Drive. I still will do 00:36:55.989 --> 00:36:59.650 that. I said by week four, but then there was 00:36:59.650 --> 00:37:01.409 like a little bit of an injury thing and he was 00:37:01.409 --> 00:37:03.750 in and out a little bit of lineup and then he 00:37:03.750 --> 00:37:05.329 didn't have a great supporting cast. So I'm giving 00:37:05.329 --> 00:37:08.210 him that extra space, but he so far has impressed 00:37:08.210 --> 00:37:10.670 and proven me wrong. And I'm okay with being 00:37:10.670 --> 00:37:13.539 wrong. I do it quite often. Listen and fairness 00:37:13.539 --> 00:37:15.300 that I'm not just saying this because we're more 00:37:15.300 --> 00:37:17.639 friends, right? Like you're not a hundred percent 00:37:17.639 --> 00:37:20.360 wrong about him. Like he is high variance There 00:37:20.360 --> 00:37:22.440 are still run reps where he gets blown out of 00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:24.679 his cleats because he just he just he's so big 00:37:24.679 --> 00:37:27.260 He's too tall. He just can't yeah, he just can't 00:37:27.260 --> 00:37:29.460 think in the way that you need him to right? 00:37:29.760 --> 00:37:32.199 He can only bend at the waist. I mean, there's 00:37:32.199 --> 00:37:35.059 no hips. He has no flexibility below his hips. 00:37:35.179 --> 00:37:37.559 That's right He should get on the the TB 12 method 00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:39.820 for sure. That's all about hip pliability, right? 00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:43.050 But um, but Within that variance, you're seeing 00:37:43.050 --> 00:37:45.989 the high -end splash plays that you want to see 00:37:45.989 --> 00:37:47.849 out of a young player that continues to give 00:37:47.849 --> 00:37:50.050 you hope in their development and allows them 00:37:50.050 --> 00:37:53.369 to still contribute on the field. And it makes 00:37:53.369 --> 00:37:57.889 that low floor for them in the variance model 00:37:57.889 --> 00:37:59.869 a little bit more tolerable. So we're seeing 00:37:59.869 --> 00:38:03.030 that out of him for sure. Yeah, I've been impressed. 00:38:03.110 --> 00:38:05.349 I mean, there are some plays that he turns in 00:38:05.349 --> 00:38:09.119 that you can say, if he just is able to... if 00:38:09.119 --> 00:38:13.300 he's able to develop his pass and his pass rush 00:38:13.300 --> 00:38:17.079 and his run stuff in directions towards the flashes 00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:19.820 he's made, he's going to be a top 15 defensive 00:38:19.820 --> 00:38:21.679 tackle in the league, no doubt in two or three 00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:24.019 years because he just there are things he does 00:38:24.019 --> 00:38:29.239 that are in. unexpected from any defensive tackle. 00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:31.340 You know, he has split some double teams, which 00:38:31.340 --> 00:38:33.780 is basically the hardest thing to do in the NFL 00:38:33.780 --> 00:38:37.300 for a de -tackle, and made plays after the split. 00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:41.440 And then he has also shown some kind of inhuman 00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:45.960 speed for a giant person such as himself at different 00:38:45.960 --> 00:38:49.280 times. I think the biggest thing for me, I'm 00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:52.480 impressed with his hand fighting. He has better 00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:55.219 than expected you know, hand fighting abilities 00:38:55.219 --> 00:38:58.719 at this level and has had winning reps. Even 00:38:58.719 --> 00:39:00.559 if he didn't, you know, make a splash play after 00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:02.679 he's had winning reps with hand fighting against 00:39:02.679 --> 00:39:04.880 some really, really talented guards and centers, 00:39:05.340 --> 00:39:08.659 which you love to see. Like that's another another 00:39:08.659 --> 00:39:10.500 feather in his cap. If he can build on that again, 00:39:10.500 --> 00:39:13.219 you know, with consistency, he'll he'll be a 00:39:13.219 --> 00:39:17.059 very, very good player. I think that. So if we're 00:39:17.059 --> 00:39:20.000 looking at the coordinators, Joe Brady so far 00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:24.099 this season. C-, D +, like you're showing up 00:39:24.099 --> 00:39:28.380 to games seemingly unprepared. Bobby Babich? 00:39:28.840 --> 00:39:33.539 B-, he tends to... put a good half together with 00:39:33.539 --> 00:39:36.000 what we could consider inferior talent on the 00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:38.500 defensive side and some injuries issues that 00:39:38.500 --> 00:39:41.119 are kind of piling up. Taylor Raff's been playing 00:39:41.119 --> 00:39:42.639 her. He's probably going to be out now. We're 00:39:42.639 --> 00:39:44.559 going to see the shell of Jordan Poirier on the 00:39:44.559 --> 00:39:47.300 field probably this weekend. Is Jordan Hancock 00:39:47.300 --> 00:39:49.099 on the injury report? Why aren't we seeing him? 00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:53.000 No, isn't Jordan Hancock? Dorian Strong's on 00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:55.320 IR. Dorian Strong's the one who's like, they're 00:39:55.320 --> 00:39:57.719 worried about him having a career -ending injury. 00:39:58.769 --> 00:40:01.210 But Hancock's healthy, right? Let me check the 00:40:01.210 --> 00:40:02.670 injury report. Yeah, you go ahead and check that, 00:40:02.670 --> 00:40:05.929 but I'll continue talking about the Babbage situation. 00:40:06.489 --> 00:40:08.349 Yeah, Hancock's not on the injury report. Keep 00:40:08.349 --> 00:40:15.510 going. I like that. He does much better, I believe, 00:40:16.030 --> 00:40:19.230 in adapting and adjusting at the half or at the 00:40:19.230 --> 00:40:23.989 end of a quarter. So his variance is wide, but 00:40:23.989 --> 00:40:27.960 he... Tends to he has tended to figure out teams 00:40:27.960 --> 00:40:30.760 in a way that that puts the bills in position 00:40:30.760 --> 00:40:33.679 to win games late Better than I think Joe Brady 00:40:33.679 --> 00:40:39.940 has mm -hmm. I think that's fair and like Brady, 00:40:40.300 --> 00:40:42.880 there are personnel questions about what is the 00:40:42.880 --> 00:40:44.719 problem? Is it personnel? Is it scheme? Is it 00:40:44.719 --> 00:40:47.079 a mix of both? Let's hone in on some of that 00:40:47.079 --> 00:40:49.420 personnel. We talked about the plus side on the 00:40:49.420 --> 00:40:53.179 defense with Walker. Let's talk about some of 00:40:53.179 --> 00:40:55.420 the not so plus guys though. And I want to start 00:40:55.420 --> 00:40:59.739 with linebacker play. JJ, here's my hot take. 00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:04.619 This defense is better when Shaq Thompson and 00:41:04.619 --> 00:41:07.059 Dorian Williams are the starting linebackers. 00:41:07.179 --> 00:41:10.309 True or false? 100 % true. Yeah, absolutely. 00:41:10.809 --> 00:41:15.269 And I'll add to it. I think that the way that 00:41:15.269 --> 00:41:17.550 the front four has played on the defensive line 00:41:17.550 --> 00:41:21.610 has created a situation where more interior offensive 00:41:21.610 --> 00:41:24.329 linemen on the opponents are getting to the second 00:41:24.329 --> 00:41:27.730 level and they have been gobbling up the size 00:41:27.730 --> 00:41:31.010 linebackers of Milano and Bernard. Where they 00:41:31.010 --> 00:41:34.170 they haven't been able to scoop up Dorian Williams 00:41:34.170 --> 00:41:35.769 and Shaq Thompson as much because they're a little 00:41:35.769 --> 00:41:37.809 bit bigger a little bit more traditional sized 00:41:37.809 --> 00:41:41.610 linebackers And so that's that's really you know, 00:41:41.849 --> 00:41:45.250 if Duquan Jones is not in the game the second 00:41:45.250 --> 00:41:49.130 level other than Thompson and Williams is at 00:41:49.130 --> 00:41:52.110 a disadvantage because The defensive tackles 00:41:52.110 --> 00:41:54.570 are more penetration style and they've been letting 00:41:54.570 --> 00:41:57.190 interior linemen get to the second level Yeah, 00:41:57.369 --> 00:41:59.610 I mean thought among thoughts a lot of thoughts 00:41:59.610 --> 00:42:02.090 amongst Bill's mafia that Bernard is is simply 00:42:02.090 --> 00:42:04.809 playing hurt But I mean they're also playing 00:42:04.809 --> 00:42:07.889 a style of defense and base Selling out to stop 00:42:07.889 --> 00:42:10.010 the run that Bernard's just not built for he's 00:42:10.010 --> 00:42:12.289 a coverage linebacker. That's his game, right? 00:42:12.570 --> 00:42:15.630 His and long and late downs third and third and 00:42:15.630 --> 00:42:17.610 long downs Bernard is the exact person you on 00:42:17.610 --> 00:42:20.110 the field But you don't want him sticking his 00:42:20.110 --> 00:42:22.570 nose in there with in a three linebacker set 00:42:22.570 --> 00:42:24.869 on second and four He's never going to be the 00:42:24.869 --> 00:42:26.989 person to, you know, unless he gets an absolute 00:42:26.989 --> 00:42:29.150 clean line to the football and can shoot a gap. 00:42:30.030 --> 00:42:31.889 He's not going to shed. He's not going to stack 00:42:31.889 --> 00:42:34.710 and shed a block and then kind of muddy it up. 00:42:35.489 --> 00:42:37.989 And Shaq Thompson is a talented veteran with 00:42:37.989 --> 00:42:41.070 great instincts. And he and again, this is why 00:42:41.070 --> 00:42:43.329 a lot of people think Bernard is hurt at his 00:42:43.329 --> 00:42:46.409 age. Still looks like a step or two quicker than 00:42:46.409 --> 00:42:49.050 Bernard does. Yeah. And then we know Dorian Williams 00:42:49.050 --> 00:42:51.570 is an athletic freak. And honestly, Williams 00:42:51.570 --> 00:42:57.059 playing next to a guy. like Thompson, to me, 00:42:57.219 --> 00:42:59.920 lets those guys specialize. Like, Thompson is 00:42:59.920 --> 00:43:02.059 kind of your everything field roamer. We know 00:43:02.059 --> 00:43:04.159 he can fit the run. We know he's passable on 00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:06.500 coverage. Drop to pick six against the Falcons, 00:43:06.519 --> 00:43:08.900 right? Because he's got those great veteran instincts. 00:43:09.940 --> 00:43:11.739 Just like Dorian Williams, like, hunt at the 00:43:11.739 --> 00:43:13.139 line of scrimmage, right? Which is what we know 00:43:13.139 --> 00:43:16.039 he does best. Williams looks way more comfortable 00:43:16.039 --> 00:43:18.539 playing next to Thompson than he does playing 00:43:18.539 --> 00:43:21.019 next to Bernard. And I don't think that's a coincidence. 00:43:21.619 --> 00:43:25.199 Well, and I think that... I think anybody watching 00:43:25.199 --> 00:43:27.280 the way that Mamelano has played at all this 00:43:27.280 --> 00:43:30.119 season could tell you that I think it's it. That's 00:43:30.119 --> 00:43:32.460 it. Like, I don't think he's going to find very 00:43:32.460 --> 00:43:35.559 many suitors in free agency. And I think the 00:43:35.559 --> 00:43:37.579 Bills kind of saw the writing on the wall when 00:43:37.579 --> 00:43:39.260 they shortened his contract and gave him a pay 00:43:39.260 --> 00:43:43.820 cut. I think he's just done. He has been injury 00:43:43.820 --> 00:43:45.860 prone his entire career, but he's at the point 00:43:45.860 --> 00:43:48.500 where it's like, it's too many. Mm -hmm. Yeah, 00:43:48.519 --> 00:43:50.840 I mean at some point like your best years are 00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:53.199 behind you Yeah, and for him it might have been 00:43:53.199 --> 00:43:57.480 2022 2021 who knows at this point. Yeah I'll 00:43:57.480 --> 00:44:00.840 talk about the safeties another another duo of 00:44:00.840 --> 00:44:03.639 question Here's mine. If tomorrow Hamlin weren't 00:44:03.639 --> 00:44:06.119 hurt Cole Bishop and tomorrow Hamlin should be 00:44:06.119 --> 00:44:08.659 the starting safety combo. Yeah, absolutely Yeah, 00:44:08.659 --> 00:44:11.159 yeah one I think I think that to Taylor rap them 00:44:11.159 --> 00:44:13.079 them coming out to say that Taylor rap had a 00:44:13.079 --> 00:44:14.719 knee injury that he's been nursing and trying 00:44:14.719 --> 00:44:17.940 to play through give some context to how he's 00:44:17.940 --> 00:44:20.199 been because he's he was always kind of a heat 00:44:20.199 --> 00:44:23.480 seeking missile from the safety position and 00:44:23.480 --> 00:44:26.900 he's looked tentative slow his change of direction 00:44:26.900 --> 00:44:29.280 seems like he's a little bit he's been lagging 00:44:29.280 --> 00:44:31.960 behind if he's been playing with a bum knee all 00:44:31.960 --> 00:44:34.219 season then it makes a lot of sense that that's 00:44:34.219 --> 00:44:36.579 what his play has looked like because it it doesn't 00:44:36.579 --> 00:44:38.480 make sense for somebody i think he's under 30 00:44:38.480 --> 00:44:42.380 still or just over 30 RAP is under 30. Under 00:44:42.380 --> 00:44:44.059 30, yeah. So it doesn't make sense for somebody 00:44:44.059 --> 00:44:48.159 under 30 with a clean bill of health on the injury 00:44:48.159 --> 00:44:51.000 report to have changed the way that they play 00:44:51.000 --> 00:44:53.500 in their efficacy so much from one season to 00:44:53.500 --> 00:44:56.900 the next, especially because late in the season 00:44:56.900 --> 00:44:59.280 last year, he was coming on and looked like one 00:44:59.280 --> 00:45:01.820 of the strongest players on the team to come 00:45:01.820 --> 00:45:04.480 into this season and just look so bad and take 00:45:04.480 --> 00:45:07.900 such terrible angles. The angles, my God. Oh 00:45:07.900 --> 00:45:09.599 yeah. Well, and that's, that's exactly it. It's 00:45:09.599 --> 00:45:11.900 like, that's the kind of stuff you don't lose, 00:45:11.900 --> 00:45:13.840 right? Like you don't just like lose that all 00:45:13.840 --> 00:45:19.519 of a sudden. I mean, we know that Poir in his 00:45:19.519 --> 00:45:23.099 seasons in Miami or season in Miami looked bad 00:45:23.099 --> 00:45:25.340 with his angles, but it was because of his athleticism. 00:45:25.460 --> 00:45:27.800 He was still taking the angle that a younger, 00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:30.119 faster version of himself could have, could have 00:45:30.119 --> 00:45:32.280 made. And that seemed, that looks a lot like 00:45:32.280 --> 00:45:34.579 what rap is doing, but the difference is age 00:45:34.579 --> 00:45:38.530 isn't the problem. I think it's the injury. Yeah. 00:45:39.750 --> 00:45:42.829 I think too, this was the problem coming into 00:45:42.829 --> 00:45:47.630 the year rap and Bishop. They, they have a skill 00:45:47.630 --> 00:45:50.630 set that is very similar to each other. They 00:45:50.630 --> 00:45:52.929 don't compliment each other. They're both guys 00:45:52.929 --> 00:45:55.650 that we know play better when they're, when they 00:45:55.650 --> 00:45:57.869 are closer to the line of scrimmage. They're 00:45:57.869 --> 00:46:01.130 both box safeties, but we also know that McDermott 00:46:01.230 --> 00:46:05.329 like values, variability, and interchangeability 00:46:05.329 --> 00:46:10.070 with his safety play. So, I mean, we've seen 00:46:10.070 --> 00:46:12.849 Cole Bishop have a really rough start to the 00:46:12.849 --> 00:46:14.190 year in a lot of respects, because he's playing 00:46:14.190 --> 00:46:16.690 a ton of free safety. But in college, that was 00:46:16.690 --> 00:46:19.010 just not what the book on him was. He has a box 00:46:19.010 --> 00:46:22.550 safety, drop down and cover one, kill slants 00:46:22.550 --> 00:46:25.329 as the robber. Like that's what that dude does. 00:46:25.489 --> 00:46:28.590 And again, kind of harkening back to our talk 00:46:28.590 --> 00:46:31.960 about Brady and the offensive scheme. I get what 00:46:31.960 --> 00:46:34.400 McDermott and Babbage want out of the scheme, 00:46:34.860 --> 00:46:37.239 but you've got two guys, because their skill 00:46:37.239 --> 00:46:39.659 sets are not complimentary, that cannot give 00:46:39.659 --> 00:46:41.679 you what you are seeking in the scheme. You are 00:46:41.679 --> 00:46:44.099 committed to pigeonholing them into those roles, 00:46:44.519 --> 00:46:46.820 as opposed to working with maybe what they do 00:46:46.820 --> 00:46:49.440 best. Because Rap, I don't think he's playing 00:46:49.440 --> 00:46:51.480 great, but he also doesn't look like he trusts 00:46:51.480 --> 00:46:53.860 Cole Bishop, that Cole Bishop is going to be 00:46:53.860 --> 00:46:55.880 in the place where he needs to, too. So he's 00:46:55.880 --> 00:46:58.280 trying to play and kind of hedge a little bit 00:46:58.280 --> 00:47:01.699 to cover up for... what he thinks are mistakes 00:47:01.699 --> 00:47:04.599 he is anticipating from Cole, be it in communication, 00:47:04.760 --> 00:47:07.480 be it in coverage, be it in run fits, what have 00:47:07.480 --> 00:47:10.440 you. Like, Rapp doesn't look as comfortable playing 00:47:10.440 --> 00:47:13.519 next to Bishop as he does looking, looking, playing 00:47:13.519 --> 00:47:16.320 next to a guy like Demar Hamlin, who's far better 00:47:16.320 --> 00:47:18.079 in coverage and playing that center field role. 00:47:18.860 --> 00:47:20.519 Yeah. Yeah, no, I think you're right. I think 00:47:20.519 --> 00:47:23.079 it's kind of a little bit of a mismatch of the 00:47:23.079 --> 00:47:27.360 whole back. Well, to me, Rapp's problems might 00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:30.880 be injury based. But Rapp and Bishop's problems 00:47:30.880 --> 00:47:34.760 both might be coverage based. Benford has not 00:47:34.760 --> 00:47:38.769 been good. Like he's close. He's close to his 00:47:38.769 --> 00:47:41.190 to his receivers, but he's giving up everything 00:47:41.190 --> 00:47:45.429 thrown towards him. His best skill has been in 00:47:45.429 --> 00:47:47.670 run fits. And that wasn't the reason they gave 00:47:47.670 --> 00:47:50.030 him a boatload of money, right? Benford has looked 00:47:50.030 --> 00:47:53.230 terrible. Trey White looks absolutely cooked. 00:47:53.369 --> 00:47:56.409 He's too slow to react to kind of complex routes. 00:47:56.449 --> 00:47:59.409 So he tends to get lost in coverage that was 00:47:59.409 --> 00:48:01.530 never a problem with Trey White, but it has been 00:48:01.530 --> 00:48:05.579 recently. So with those pieces, I get how, I 00:48:05.579 --> 00:48:07.559 mean, it all works together. It's all a symbiotic 00:48:07.559 --> 00:48:10.860 system. Taron Johnson also seems to be a step 00:48:10.860 --> 00:48:13.760 slower than he has been the past few years. So 00:48:13.760 --> 00:48:16.239 when your three corners in front of you as the 00:48:16.239 --> 00:48:20.639 safety pair are playing poorly, your partner 00:48:20.639 --> 00:48:23.099 in coverage is a second year player who doesn't 00:48:23.099 --> 00:48:25.280 look very good or doesn't seem to have a good 00:48:25.280 --> 00:48:28.940 knack for it yet. Yeah, if you're the most experienced 00:48:28.940 --> 00:48:31.159 veteran coverage player on the field of the back 00:48:31.159 --> 00:48:34.039 five, you'd every snap you're trying to figure 00:48:34.039 --> 00:48:36.719 out who you have to make right, who's doing the 00:48:36.719 --> 00:48:39.079 wrong thing, right? And so I could see him kind 00:48:39.079 --> 00:48:42.199 of, part of the reason he's been out of position 00:48:42.199 --> 00:48:44.840 is because he's trying to squeeze routes to help 00:48:44.840 --> 00:48:47.360 out either Trey White or Christian Benford while 00:48:47.360 --> 00:48:50.659 they're getting cooked. Yeah. I don't know if 00:48:50.659 --> 00:48:53.639 there's not an easy answer for fixing any of 00:48:53.639 --> 00:48:56.860 it because it's all broken right now. It is. 00:48:56.960 --> 00:49:01.030 I mean, the reality is, is you need to... The 00:49:01.030 --> 00:49:03.909 reality is is you invested a premium pick in 00:49:03.909 --> 00:49:05.889 Cole Bishop and he's probably the guy that's 00:49:05.889 --> 00:49:07.750 gonna get the benefit of the doubt Which is why 00:49:07.750 --> 00:49:10.750 I ask like what's Jordan Hancock's deal because 00:49:10.750 --> 00:49:13.489 I feel like Hancock with his versatility his 00:49:13.489 --> 00:49:18.389 coverage shops Probably looks better in a pairing 00:49:18.389 --> 00:49:21.489 with Cole Bishop than Taylor rep does right? 00:49:21.630 --> 00:49:25.769 Yeah. Yeah, I think that's true. Yeah Let's talk 00:49:25.769 --> 00:49:27.250 about run defense. You want to talk about run 00:49:27.250 --> 00:49:30.460 defense. I sure do I think we're going to see 00:49:30.460 --> 00:49:32.159 them go back to playing more nickel. They've 00:49:32.159 --> 00:49:34.139 played a ton of base. They've played a ton of 00:49:34.139 --> 00:49:37.519 four, three, three linebacker sets. I mean, at 00:49:37.519 --> 00:49:39.300 a clip that is, I think, number four in the league, 00:49:39.440 --> 00:49:42.559 I think they're over 26%. It's nuts for a team 00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:46.119 that plays 88 % nickel in previous seasons. I 00:49:46.119 --> 00:49:49.659 think in the bye, McDermott and Babich are going 00:49:49.659 --> 00:49:51.699 to be like, F it. Let's go back to basics. If 00:49:51.699 --> 00:49:53.699 we're going to get diced up in the run game, 00:49:54.239 --> 00:49:57.119 let's at least do it in a way that is going to 00:49:57.119 --> 00:49:59.739 set up the guys we do have on the roster for 00:49:59.739 --> 00:50:01.679 better success because this is what they were 00:50:01.679 --> 00:50:03.619 drafted for. This is what they were signed for 00:50:03.619 --> 00:50:06.320 to fit in roles in this nickel defense, not in 00:50:06.320 --> 00:50:08.579 the base four three. And I think because of that, 00:50:08.659 --> 00:50:11.360 you're going to see far more adaptable rotations 00:50:11.360 --> 00:50:14.519 come in with Cam Lewis coming in more. With Doreen 00:50:14.519 --> 00:50:16.599 Williams and Shaq Thompson coming in more to 00:50:16.599 --> 00:50:18.559 that two linebacker set, you're going to see 00:50:18.559 --> 00:50:21.320 far more effective rotations and obvious rundowns 00:50:21.320 --> 00:50:23.239 that will maximize that nickel package. But I 00:50:23.239 --> 00:50:24.539 think they're going to I think they're going 00:50:24.539 --> 00:50:26.559 to throw the base four three into the sun after 00:50:26.559 --> 00:50:30.320 the after the five. Well, God, we hope so. And 00:50:30.320 --> 00:50:32.719 that's absolutely right, is because having having 00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:35.920 three linebackers on the field only matters if 00:50:35.920 --> 00:50:38.280 the linebackers are being if that extra linebackers 00:50:38.280 --> 00:50:40.639 being more effective than your corner at stopping 00:50:40.639 --> 00:50:43.099 the run. That absolutely hasn't been the case. 00:50:43.500 --> 00:50:46.000 I trust, even having lost a step and being kind 00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:47.539 of a little bit later in his career, I still 00:50:47.539 --> 00:50:49.900 trust Taron Johnson better than whatever third 00:50:49.900 --> 00:50:52.840 linebacker they're going to get, especially if 00:50:52.840 --> 00:50:56.139 the person he's replacing in that lineup is Milano 00:50:56.139 --> 00:51:01.119 or Bernard. They have not looked good. And even 00:51:01.119 --> 00:51:02.340 though they're probably not, because I think 00:51:02.340 --> 00:51:04.340 they're still preferred two linebackers, they 00:51:04.340 --> 00:51:06.619 want match up style linebackers are Milano and 00:51:06.619 --> 00:51:11.820 Bernard on the field in a nickel set. But she's 00:51:11.820 --> 00:51:14.000 it's like one. I mean we talked about this. We've 00:51:14.000 --> 00:51:16.980 talked about this so many times their stubbornness 00:51:16.980 --> 00:51:21.119 to play the players who are actually effective 00:51:21.119 --> 00:51:24.599 in in deference to the thing that they think 00:51:24.599 --> 00:51:27.420 it should be on both sides of the ball is so 00:51:27.420 --> 00:51:30.920 terrible right like Just like you know they think 00:51:30.920 --> 00:51:33.300 that they shouldn't you know for whatever reason 00:51:33.300 --> 00:51:35.860 they don't want to do under center play action 00:51:35.860 --> 00:51:39.639 passing But we all know, everybody, the simplest 00:51:39.639 --> 00:51:41.579 of fans can look at it and be like, wow, that 00:51:41.579 --> 00:51:44.539 play really worked, right? And it's the same 00:51:44.539 --> 00:51:46.440 thing with watching Shaq Thompson on the football 00:51:46.440 --> 00:51:49.280 field. He is their best linebacker, far and away. 00:51:49.840 --> 00:51:52.920 100%. He should be starting every game. It doesn't 00:51:52.920 --> 00:51:55.699 matter how much money he's getting versus Bernard's 00:51:55.699 --> 00:51:57.559 contract or Milano's contract, for that matter. 00:51:57.760 --> 00:51:59.519 He should be starting every game at whichever 00:51:59.519 --> 00:52:02.840 position he'd prefer to play. And he's a veteran, 00:52:03.039 --> 00:52:05.500 so you know he has the capacity to know the defense, 00:52:05.619 --> 00:52:07.360 call the defense, communicate, get everybody 00:52:07.360 --> 00:52:10.260 lined up. Give him the green dot. Let him go. 00:52:10.480 --> 00:52:14.059 Yep, absolutely. I don't want to talk about the 00:52:14.059 --> 00:52:17.219 defense anymore. No, I'm done. I'm so done. All 00:52:17.219 --> 00:52:20.199 right. All right. OK, let's talk about I kind 00:52:20.199 --> 00:52:21.960 of included this in the notes, dude, and I don't 00:52:21.960 --> 00:52:24.699 know if you want to hit this yet. I think it's 00:52:24.699 --> 00:52:27.699 tied into the trade deadline discussion for the 00:52:27.699 --> 00:52:33.079 bills because and this was inspired by a random 00:52:33.079 --> 00:52:36.360 threads comment that I saw about how the bills 00:52:36.360 --> 00:52:39.500 may not be to an article. I think it was in the 00:52:39.500 --> 00:52:41.679 Buffalo News that said the bills might not be 00:52:41.679 --> 00:52:43.280 able to be as active at the trade deadline as 00:52:43.280 --> 00:52:46.099 they want to be because of cap limitations. And 00:52:46.099 --> 00:52:49.219 one of the comments was outside of Josh Allen. 00:52:49.500 --> 00:52:51.900 Who the hell are we paying that we don't have 00:52:51.900 --> 00:52:54.960 enough cap room? And I went and I, you know, 00:52:55.179 --> 00:52:57.460 I love spot track. I love over the cap because 00:52:57.460 --> 00:53:01.139 they'll both give you percentage of cap dedicated 00:53:01.139 --> 00:53:04.820 to certain position rooms and what the AAV average 00:53:04.820 --> 00:53:07.659 annual contract value to each of those position 00:53:07.659 --> 00:53:10.920 position rooms has been promised and dude. When 00:53:10.920 --> 00:53:13.760 I looked at the bill's cap commitments, I was 00:53:13.760 --> 00:53:17.599 blown away. But you can see very clearly why 00:53:17.599 --> 00:53:21.579 they don't have a lot of options at the trade 00:53:21.579 --> 00:53:24.000 deadline to go after, but they've obviously invested 00:53:24.000 --> 00:53:27.239 positions where they're not getting an ROI. As 00:53:27.239 --> 00:53:30.099 we know, they gave contract extensions to Shakir, 00:53:30.659 --> 00:53:33.219 Benford, Bernard, Rousseau over the course of 00:53:33.219 --> 00:53:36.179 the season. I think we could all agree that Shakir 00:53:36.179 --> 00:53:38.739 is playing the best out of that group. And even 00:53:38.739 --> 00:53:40.619 his performance has been a little bit on the 00:53:40.619 --> 00:53:43.820 decline this year. Their AAV in that wide receiver 00:53:43.820 --> 00:53:47.039 room, average annual value committed to their 00:53:47.039 --> 00:53:49.860 wide receivers is the 14th highest in the league, 00:53:50.039 --> 00:53:53.360 top half of the league in the NFL. JJ, do they 00:53:53.360 --> 00:53:57.119 have a top 14 wide receiver in that room? No, 00:53:57.559 --> 00:54:00.440 no. Do they have a top 20 wide receiver in that 00:54:00.440 --> 00:54:04.099 room? Still no, no. I feel like Kaliyah Shakir 00:54:04.099 --> 00:54:08.789 is at best between 25 and 30. So, so, and, and 00:54:08.789 --> 00:54:11.550 that's taking into context. Like you have teams 00:54:11.550 --> 00:54:14.789 like Cincinnati that are paying two wide receivers, 00:54:15.250 --> 00:54:19.010 $30 million a year. Right. And they're not too 00:54:19.010 --> 00:54:21.010 far off from the bills and total cap expenditures 00:54:21.010 --> 00:54:23.929 in a wide receiver room or percentage of cap 00:54:23.929 --> 00:54:26.250 committed to the position. And this is the thing. 00:54:26.289 --> 00:54:28.909 And you touched on this earlier in the year where 00:54:28.909 --> 00:54:32.190 the bills have committed themselves to this. 00:54:32.769 --> 00:54:36.150 upper middle class, upper middle class tier of 00:54:36.150 --> 00:54:38.289 contract expenditures. They don't have a lot 00:54:38.289 --> 00:54:40.869 of guys on rookie contracts that are producing 00:54:40.869 --> 00:54:44.030 right now. And they have a lot of guys that are 00:54:44.030 --> 00:54:47.110 average to slightly above average talent, making 00:54:47.110 --> 00:54:49.869 that middle tier, upper middle tier money. And 00:54:49.869 --> 00:54:51.949 when we see each of these contracts come through, 00:54:51.949 --> 00:54:54.050 we're like, that's great value for that guy, 00:54:54.070 --> 00:54:57.070 right? Or, oh wow, that Clue Shakir deal, like 00:54:57.070 --> 00:54:59.590 they're only paying him as the 35th highest paid 00:54:59.590 --> 00:55:02.980 whiteout. But then when you bundle, The 14th 00:55:02.980 --> 00:55:05.860 top contract here, the 15th top contract here, 00:55:06.039 --> 00:55:09.139 it adds up in nickel and dimes over time. Dude, 00:55:09.239 --> 00:55:14.000 the edge room is top 10 in AAV. That's our, we 00:55:14.000 --> 00:55:15.880 are not getting top 10 production out of that 00:55:15.880 --> 00:55:19.199 edge room. The cornerback room, because of how 00:55:19.199 --> 00:55:22.000 many vets they have signed and because they have 00:55:22.000 --> 00:55:24.960 tried and failed through Kair Elam, Dorian Strong, 00:55:25.300 --> 00:55:27.579 like they have not been able to maximize rookies 00:55:27.579 --> 00:55:29.400 that they have, have drafted in that position 00:55:29.400 --> 00:55:32.090 other than Benford. is number six in the league 00:55:32.090 --> 00:55:34.590 commitment of AAV according to spot track for 00:55:34.590 --> 00:55:40.289 2025. The reason why Chris Olave, Rashi Shahid, 00:55:40.690 --> 00:55:43.530 AJ Brown are not options for this team to trade 00:55:43.530 --> 00:55:46.409 for from a fiscal perspective is they have so 00:55:46.409 --> 00:55:49.769 much money tied up in these positions already. 00:55:51.210 --> 00:55:55.130 Yeah, no, they they spend a lot of money on average 00:55:55.130 --> 00:55:58.070 to slightly above average players in all these 00:55:58.070 --> 00:56:04.639 positions. And the moneyball approach works in 00:56:04.639 --> 00:56:09.460 situations where where the aggregate of all your 00:56:09.460 --> 00:56:13.139 players is counted on every play at their best. 00:56:13.800 --> 00:56:15.980 And it's where they play their best every play. 00:56:16.219 --> 00:56:19.199 Right. Like when you have if you could guarantee 00:56:19.199 --> 00:56:22.099 that all the skill position players on your offense 00:56:22.099 --> 00:56:25.880 who make above middle of the pack money are going 00:56:25.880 --> 00:56:28.630 to deliver a middle of the pack rep. or above 00:56:28.630 --> 00:56:31.329 middle of the pack rep on every snap, it's a 00:56:31.329 --> 00:56:34.590 worthwhile value. The problem is people who are 00:56:34.590 --> 00:56:38.150 just above average lose reps to elite talent 00:56:38.150 --> 00:56:41.789 more often than they win by a huge measure. They 00:56:41.789 --> 00:56:44.769 might lose 85 % of their reps and man up coverage 00:56:44.769 --> 00:56:48.409 on a route run as a wide receiver because they're 00:56:48.409 --> 00:56:51.230 just above average. And so I think that, you 00:56:51.230 --> 00:56:53.539 know, we... This is the biggest problem, and 00:56:53.539 --> 00:56:56.599 I think it's leveraged more in those positions 00:56:56.599 --> 00:56:59.280 that depend so heavily on one -on -one wins, 00:56:59.880 --> 00:57:04.360 like wide receiver, like edge rusher. What else? 00:57:05.179 --> 00:57:08.719 Any defensive lineman, really? Cornerback, right? 00:57:08.820 --> 00:57:11.179 Number 10 in the league and committed AAV to 00:57:11.179 --> 00:57:13.519 that position, mostly because of Daquan Jones 00:57:13.519 --> 00:57:16.579 at Oliver's contracts, right? Right. Yeah, so 00:57:16.579 --> 00:57:19.380 in all of those situations, if you were... You 00:57:19.380 --> 00:57:22.300 know, player is, is a just above average talent 00:57:22.300 --> 00:57:24.360 and they're going to lose most of the reps to 00:57:24.360 --> 00:57:27.119 elite. You're wasting your money, um, by not 00:57:27.119 --> 00:57:29.960 just having some scrub in there to breathe and 00:57:29.960 --> 00:57:32.840 hold a paycheck, um, because they're losing the 00:57:32.840 --> 00:57:35.800 same amount of reps. Maybe not as terribly, but. 00:57:36.039 --> 00:57:38.559 And you know, they've been given such a gift 00:57:38.559 --> 00:57:41.320 in the way that Josh Allen has structured this 00:57:41.320 --> 00:57:44.420 contract with this team right now. He has only, 00:57:44.739 --> 00:57:47.599 he has only as far as percentage of cap taken 00:57:47.599 --> 00:57:50.650 up this season. He's only 11th in the league 00:57:50.650 --> 00:57:54.150 amongst active QBs like his yes, you've got to 00:57:54.150 --> 00:57:56.570 pay him his money and yes That's a massive cap 00:57:56.570 --> 00:58:00.030 hit year after year But relative to like what 00:58:00.030 --> 00:58:02.690 the Dolphins are paying Tua and both cash and 00:58:02.690 --> 00:58:06.010 cap every year how the Joe burrow extension was 00:58:06.010 --> 00:58:10.329 was constructed in Cincinnati, huh? Trevor Lawrence 00:58:10.329 --> 00:58:13.760 the Trevor like Josh gave them pretty much the 00:58:13.760 --> 00:58:17.219 most team friendly elite QB contract in the history 00:58:17.219 --> 00:58:19.280 of the league. So they could be able to figure 00:58:19.280 --> 00:58:22.400 out other positions. And it just feels like a 00:58:22.400 --> 00:58:25.539 lot of a lot of bets, like you said, on high 00:58:25.539 --> 00:58:29.820 floor, low ceiling, safe, but not elite, safe, 00:58:29.940 --> 00:58:33.019 but not needle moving talent. And you got you 00:58:33.019 --> 00:58:35.139 got to wonder how long that strategy is going 00:58:35.139 --> 00:58:39.360 to continue to last. It won't. And also their 00:58:39.360 --> 00:58:44.159 their unwillingness to to like kind of sell the 00:58:44.159 --> 00:58:46.639 farm to move up in the draft. You know, a lot 00:58:46.639 --> 00:58:48.780 of the, Brandon being an apologist, including 00:58:48.780 --> 00:58:51.159 myself has made the argument before that picking 00:58:51.159 --> 00:58:55.119 between 25 and 32 is not where you're going to 00:58:55.119 --> 00:58:57.719 be able to get a needle moving top, you know, 00:58:57.760 --> 00:59:01.139 top wide receiver talent, top pass rushing talent 00:59:01.139 --> 00:59:03.380 that you got to get up into the top 15, top 10. 00:59:04.219 --> 00:59:08.260 Yeah, that's that's true. But do that, then you 00:59:08.260 --> 00:59:10.360 do it right. Exactly. That's the point is like 00:59:10.360 --> 00:59:12.219 this whole sense of we're going to trade down 00:59:12.219 --> 00:59:14.460 and get value and use the shotgun approach to 00:59:14.460 --> 00:59:17.659 try to get somebody from rounds two to seven 00:59:17.659 --> 00:59:20.460 who's really going to, you know, pop and make 00:59:20.460 --> 00:59:23.119 a difference. It's great that you can occasionally 00:59:23.119 --> 00:59:27.400 find a Khalil Shakir or, you know, a Christian 00:59:27.400 --> 00:59:29.539 Benford who I'm not completely out on, but I'm 00:59:29.539 --> 00:59:31.820 worried about. You know, there's there's talented 00:59:31.820 --> 00:59:34.960 players down in the draft, but at such a much 00:59:34.960 --> 00:59:38.039 lower rate, we know, year over year, your pro 00:59:38.039 --> 00:59:39.699 bowlers are all going to be picked in the first 00:59:39.699 --> 00:59:42.440 round, right? Like, for the most part. Dude, 00:59:42.599 --> 00:59:45.099 it's tried and true. If you are going to commit 00:59:45.099 --> 00:59:50.059 this much cap space to veteran extensions, veteran 00:59:50.059 --> 00:59:52.099 free agent signings, and you're going to pay 00:59:52.099 --> 00:59:54.539 a QB what you're paying Josh Allen, you cannot 00:59:54.539 --> 00:59:57.400 afford to miss on the draft. And this is a team 00:59:57.400 --> 01:00:00.480 I still this is a team that Breet Bean is so 01:00:00.480 --> 01:00:02.980 good about walking into every draft year with 01:00:02.980 --> 01:00:07.780 extra draft capital. Like in 2024, the Kian Coleman 01:00:07.780 --> 01:00:10.059 Cole Bishop year, there is no reason in that 01:00:10.059 --> 01:00:13.019 year, you needed to pick 10 rookies. There's 01:00:13.019 --> 01:00:15.059 no reason you need to make 10 draft picks. You 01:00:15.059 --> 01:00:17.000 could have bundled up and done the Troy Franklin 01:00:17.000 --> 01:00:20.219 thing, like we were advocating for, bundled up 01:00:20.219 --> 01:00:22.909 and gone up and gotten a Tanner Bordolini. Both 01:00:22.909 --> 01:00:25.409 players who further respective squads are starting 01:00:25.409 --> 01:00:27.150 to come around. Bordellini has been starting 01:00:27.150 --> 01:00:29.409 since he was a rookie for Indy. He's got his 01:00:29.409 --> 01:00:31.769 warts, but the reps are there and he's solid. 01:00:32.230 --> 01:00:34.710 And then Franklin is finding his footing in Denver 01:00:34.710 --> 01:00:37.789 with Bo Nix of all people. Right. Right. Like, 01:00:38.170 --> 01:00:41.610 yeah. Brian Thomas Jr. He was in striking range. 01:00:41.670 --> 01:00:43.429 They could have put something together to go 01:00:43.429 --> 01:00:46.190 up and get him. Would not have cost a lot based 01:00:46.190 --> 01:00:50.030 on where he fell. Yes. And it he I believe would 01:00:50.030 --> 01:00:51.869 make a difference in his offense. He wouldn't 01:00:51.869 --> 01:00:53.829 it would not be the same as the key on Coleman 01:00:53.829 --> 01:00:58.969 who's been kind of hit or miss and doesn't seem 01:00:58.969 --> 01:01:01.269 seems to be mismatched to the role that they 01:01:01.269 --> 01:01:04.650 want him to play. Did you see the and this will 01:01:04.650 --> 01:01:06.489 be a perfect transition in the trade deadline. 01:01:06.809 --> 01:01:08.670 So so we talk about the cap commitment stuff 01:01:08.670 --> 01:01:10.849 not so that we can rag on Brandon being his ability 01:01:10.849 --> 01:01:13.050 to build a roster because the the floor of the 01:01:13.050 --> 01:01:15.050 roster is still very high. This is still a 10 01:01:15.050 --> 01:01:18.389 win team. because of how being his short stuff 01:01:18.389 --> 01:01:21.309 up. But at this point, talking about the Bills 01:01:21.309 --> 01:01:24.769 as a 10 win team is no longer a point of pride 01:01:24.769 --> 01:01:27.750 because we have, they laid the expectation out 01:01:27.750 --> 01:01:30.250 at the beginning of the season that 10 wins without 01:01:30.250 --> 01:01:31.949 a Superbowl was not going to be enough. They 01:01:31.949 --> 01:01:34.510 wanted to move up and get over the hump. We are 01:01:34.510 --> 01:01:37.050 showcasing this for two reasons. One, this does 01:01:37.050 --> 01:01:38.869 not look like a personnel set that's ready to 01:01:38.869 --> 01:01:41.880 get over the hump. But two, The way they have 01:01:41.880 --> 01:01:45.019 structured contracts, cash and cap, where they've 01:01:45.019 --> 01:01:47.760 committed money to this season and next season 01:01:47.760 --> 01:01:50.579 is restricting them from really going after aggressively 01:01:50.579 --> 01:01:52.780 at this trade deadline for the positions they 01:01:52.780 --> 01:01:55.380 really need to, which is wide receiver, safety, 01:01:55.760 --> 01:01:58.920 and potentially cornerback, depending on what 01:01:58.920 --> 01:02:03.059 Max Hairston looks like. So JJ, that being said, 01:02:03.739 --> 01:02:05.780 while they are restricted with what they can 01:02:05.780 --> 01:02:08.940 do, they can still do a couple of things. What 01:02:08.940 --> 01:02:11.960 is what do you think the bills will do? What 01:02:11.960 --> 01:02:14.099 do you want them to do? And what position do 01:02:14.099 --> 01:02:18.320 you think they're going to target? All right. 01:02:18.800 --> 01:02:22.880 I don't think they will do anything. I think 01:02:22.880 --> 01:02:24.239 the same thing. Yeah, I don't think they're going 01:02:24.239 --> 01:02:25.719 to do anything. I don't think they're going to 01:02:25.719 --> 01:02:29.159 trade for anybody. I think that they may trade 01:02:29.159 --> 01:02:33.400 away a Japanese. But I don't think they're going 01:02:33.400 --> 01:02:37.269 to trade for anybody. They might even trade away 01:02:37.269 --> 01:02:40.550 Matt Milano if anyone would be willing to take 01:02:40.550 --> 01:02:44.289 him for a seventh rounder, right? Like, but they 01:02:44.289 --> 01:02:45.929 just don't have, they don't have the depth and 01:02:45.929 --> 01:02:48.349 they've had too many injuries to make me believe 01:02:48.349 --> 01:02:50.849 they're going to be sellers in any way because 01:02:50.849 --> 01:02:53.710 they are, they believe in, you know, as they 01:02:53.710 --> 01:02:55.849 should, they can compete for a Super Bowl this 01:02:55.849 --> 01:02:59.019 year. And so it's a little bit of a different 01:02:59.019 --> 01:03:02.159 landscape for them. So I could see Bean making 01:03:02.159 --> 01:03:04.320 a move, maybe Alec Anderson, because Jackson 01:03:04.320 --> 01:03:06.739 Hawes has panned out as an excellent, you know, 01:03:06.760 --> 01:03:08.619 but Alec Anderson has been called up for game 01:03:08.619 --> 01:03:11.300 action to replace any of the three interior line 01:03:11.300 --> 01:03:14.800 spots. So unless it's selling away a depth piece 01:03:14.800 --> 01:03:16.760 because the deal is just too good and a team's 01:03:16.760 --> 01:03:19.719 calling, I don't see them doing anything, actually, 01:03:19.880 --> 01:03:24.900 because the cap isn't there. The viable talent 01:03:24.900 --> 01:03:27.340 isn't there. Well, how about you? Is there anybody 01:03:27.340 --> 01:03:30.320 that you could see, you know, worthwhile? Cam 01:03:30.320 --> 01:03:33.980 Taylor Britt? Maybe. I mean, he's kind of a reclamation 01:03:33.980 --> 01:03:36.119 project at this point, right? He's not good. 01:03:36.460 --> 01:03:41.840 I see them doing more of a Puna Ford type of 01:03:41.840 --> 01:03:44.239 thing, which he was assigning at the trade deadline. 01:03:44.400 --> 01:03:46.920 I don't think he was a trade. Justin Simmons 01:03:46.920 --> 01:03:50.179 is out there. Stefan Gilmore is out there. There 01:03:50.179 --> 01:03:53.559 are some veteran pieces that you can add. that 01:03:53.559 --> 01:03:56.739 are still available via free agency where the 01:03:56.739 --> 01:03:59.940 cap hits would be something that you could structure 01:03:59.940 --> 01:04:03.179 under the bill's current restrictions for 2025, 01:04:03.800 --> 01:04:06.340 not have the long -term commitment into 2026. 01:04:07.179 --> 01:04:09.599 I could actually see at the trade deadline them 01:04:09.599 --> 01:04:14.079 being veteran free agent signing guys. Bean is 01:04:14.079 --> 01:04:16.840 so loathe to give up draft capital these days 01:04:16.840 --> 01:04:19.619 and Listen, we just said it like even though 01:04:19.619 --> 01:04:21.880 there's not gonna be a lot of viable roster spots 01:04:21.880 --> 01:04:23.920 for a rookie to take next year They're gonna 01:04:23.920 --> 01:04:26.099 have some holes and beans gonna need to address 01:04:26.099 --> 01:04:28.679 them in the draft again Because they're not gonna 01:04:28.679 --> 01:04:31.159 have a ton of cap room to work with in 2026 either 01:04:31.159 --> 01:04:33.340 So I don't think they're gonna give up a ton 01:04:33.340 --> 01:04:37.119 of draft capital. But if they were willing to 01:04:37.119 --> 01:04:40.519 I'd like to see them target potentially a safety. 01:04:40.639 --> 01:04:44.420 I mean, can we pry? Like I look at, I look at 01:04:44.420 --> 01:04:48.380 the Las Vegas Raiders and I see, I see Jeremy 01:04:48.380 --> 01:04:51.440 Chin playing really, really well. And he's a 01:04:51.440 --> 01:04:53.559 guy we've coveted in free agency for the past 01:04:53.559 --> 01:04:57.219 couple of years. Like how's a fifth rounder, 01:04:57.219 --> 01:05:00.139 right? Is he on the, uh, is he on the last year 01:05:00.139 --> 01:05:02.920 of his deal? I believe, I believe he signed a 01:05:02.920 --> 01:05:05.539 one year deal with them. Okay. Yeah. So I think 01:05:05.539 --> 01:05:08.360 Chin's a possibility. I mean, if you are looking 01:05:08.360 --> 01:05:11.480 to upgrade at linebacker, How does a Jamal Adams 01:05:11.480 --> 01:05:14.179 strike you he made the transition from safety 01:05:14.179 --> 01:05:16.659 to linebackers played really well in Las Vegas 01:05:16.659 --> 01:05:19.420 I just for whatever reason so here's the reason 01:05:19.420 --> 01:05:22.440 why I'm on Las Vegas Las Vegas Raiders my son 01:05:22.440 --> 01:05:25.280 Jack who is perpetually the antagonist in my 01:05:25.280 --> 01:05:29.699 life He he is wants to root for any team that 01:05:29.699 --> 01:05:31.360 is not the bills because he knows I like the 01:05:31.360 --> 01:05:35.420 bills. Yeah, that's a bummer I'm so afraid Dude, 01:05:35.460 --> 01:05:37.099 if he wasn't six, I would kick him out of the 01:05:37.099 --> 01:05:39.039 house. But I can't because he's right. That's 01:05:39.039 --> 01:05:41.159 child abandonment. I don't want to get arrested. 01:05:41.519 --> 01:05:44.039 Yeah, exactly. No. And I love him. He's he's 01:05:44.039 --> 01:05:45.920 your child. You love him. Right. Yeah. So he 01:05:45.920 --> 01:05:48.159 so he goes to me. He's like, Daddy, I'm going 01:05:48.159 --> 01:05:50.000 to root for two teams. I'm like, what are those 01:05:50.000 --> 01:05:53.699 two teams, Jack? He goes, the Raiders. And then 01:05:53.699 --> 01:05:56.760 Jets. And I'm like, both will bring you nothing 01:05:56.760 --> 01:05:59.659 but pain. I said, and I've got a friend named 01:05:59.659 --> 01:06:01.619 Jared who might want to talk you off the lab, 01:06:01.800 --> 01:06:05.480 right? Jets is a bad idea. We know someone. But 01:06:05.480 --> 01:06:07.480 I've got like the NFL channel. So like a queue 01:06:07.480 --> 01:06:09.400 up Raiders games for him and stuff. So I've watched 01:06:09.400 --> 01:06:11.880 a lot of Raiders games and Chan and Adams look 01:06:11.880 --> 01:06:14.559 great. They look great. I'd like both of those 01:06:14.559 --> 01:06:16.400 guys and they won't cost you a lot. And they're 01:06:16.400 --> 01:06:19.599 both on one year deals. Okay. I can be convinced. 01:06:19.639 --> 01:06:21.960 I can be convinced of a lot of things. I think 01:06:21.960 --> 01:06:25.199 they need help. I think they need help too. But 01:06:25.199 --> 01:06:27.400 listen, wide receiver is the big ticket. We went 01:06:27.400 --> 01:06:30.739 for a Murray Cooper last year. I don't think 01:06:30.739 --> 01:06:34.800 the wide receiver market is as rife with hope 01:06:34.800 --> 01:06:37.219 as other areas of the trade market are for the 01:06:37.219 --> 01:06:39.480 bills just because of salary cap restrictions. 01:06:40.179 --> 01:06:42.860 Do you see them making them play for a wide? 01:06:43.500 --> 01:06:45.079 Look, I know you don't think they're gonna do 01:06:45.079 --> 01:06:47.460 anything. So let me rephrase Yeah, if they were 01:06:47.460 --> 01:06:50.059 able to squeeze squeeze out a wide receiver at 01:06:50.059 --> 01:06:52.119 the deadline Who would you want that person to 01:06:52.119 --> 01:06:54.579 be based on names that have been bandied about? 01:06:55.000 --> 01:06:56.820 Well, if we're just gonna play fantasy land, 01:06:56.820 --> 01:07:02.239 you know GM return Rashid Shaheed or Chris Olave 01:07:02.239 --> 01:07:04.659 from the Saints are like the only names that 01:07:04.659 --> 01:07:08.059 I'm even Is is is one of the ones that people 01:07:08.059 --> 01:07:11.199 talk about Jackson Smith and Jigma? Is that a 01:07:11.199 --> 01:07:14.199 is he a possible no? No. Oh, God, no. He's leading 01:07:14.199 --> 01:07:16.300 the league. He's a cornerstone, right? He's leading 01:07:16.300 --> 01:07:19.780 the league in yards. He's on pace to break Calvin 01:07:19.780 --> 01:07:21.820 Johnson's single -season record. Seattle's not 01:07:21.820 --> 01:07:24.340 giving him up. Yeah. So, I mean, exactly that. 01:07:25.219 --> 01:07:27.880 There's no wide receiver out there that's not 01:07:27.880 --> 01:07:31.239 like a washed vet that I think the Bills... They 01:07:31.239 --> 01:07:33.960 might as well sign Tyler Lockett as a vet. free 01:07:33.960 --> 01:07:37.139 agent. He just got released from yes. Yeah, they 01:07:37.139 --> 01:07:38.840 might as well sign him if they're looking for 01:07:38.840 --> 01:07:42.559 somebody because giving up a draft asset for 01:07:42.559 --> 01:07:45.380 some veteran who's pretty terrible is not the 01:07:45.380 --> 01:07:48.739 answer. And nobody nobody with a lot of skills 01:07:48.739 --> 01:07:52.099 is available. I can guarantee that is the guy 01:07:52.099 --> 01:07:56.170 because I'm I am I don't think Olave and Shahid 01:07:56.170 --> 01:07:58.110 are ultimately going to get dealt. I just I don't 01:07:58.110 --> 01:07:59.829 I think New Orleans wants to keep both. Well, 01:07:59.829 --> 01:08:01.869 they're they're young and talented. Like, there's 01:08:01.869 --> 01:08:03.789 no reason to move on from them. If you're even 01:08:03.789 --> 01:08:05.250 if you're a team that's going to lose the season 01:08:05.250 --> 01:08:07.409 out like homegrown products and you're about 01:08:07.409 --> 01:08:10.989 to enjoy either for the next four or five years 01:08:10.989 --> 01:08:13.550 on a rookie QB deal. Right. So, yeah, you resign 01:08:13.550 --> 01:08:17.250 those guys. Can I interest you in a Romeo doubts 01:08:17.250 --> 01:08:20.949 out of Green Bay? And here's the reason he he's 01:08:20.949 --> 01:08:24.520 in the last year of his contract. He is coming 01:08:24.520 --> 01:08:29.300 back coming back from injury his ESPN open score 01:08:29.300 --> 01:08:32.899 fourth best in the league since his return He 01:08:32.899 --> 01:08:35.819 is a deep threat yards per outrun. Not great. 01:08:35.819 --> 01:08:39.859 He's right around 1 .9 2 yards per outrun Catches 01:08:39.859 --> 01:08:42.720 everything right and he is the go -to for Jordan 01:08:42.720 --> 01:08:45.260 love in that offense. However, they've drafted 01:08:45.260 --> 01:08:47.720 Matthew Golden They've got financial decisions 01:08:47.720 --> 01:08:50.979 to make about Reid and Watson. That's a very 01:08:50.979 --> 01:08:56.050 full wide receiver room And Douds is young. Is 01:08:56.050 --> 01:08:58.909 there a possibility that you could get a young 01:08:58.909 --> 01:09:01.750 downfield threat for Josh Allen to work with 01:09:01.750 --> 01:09:06.270 for like a third? Right. I think you've just 01:09:06.270 --> 01:09:08.770 presented a reality to me that I had not considered 01:09:08.770 --> 01:09:12.010 and I would 100 % do that. I mean, watching Green 01:09:12.010 --> 01:09:14.850 Bay games and Romeo Dubs, who also just, I don't 01:09:14.850 --> 01:09:16.390 know why I just like his name. It's a good name. 01:09:16.390 --> 01:09:18.970 It's a fun name. Douds. It's a fun name. Douds. 01:09:22.020 --> 01:09:23.699 There's so many puns. There's so many things 01:09:23.699 --> 01:09:25.420 you could play off with that. That's exactly 01:09:25.420 --> 01:09:27.500 where I was going with it. I'm like, dude, you're 01:09:27.500 --> 01:09:31.079 the pun analogy king on this pod. Wherefore art 01:09:31.079 --> 01:09:34.119 thou, Romeo? Can we, like, can we please just 01:09:34.119 --> 01:09:37.460 start opening up, you know, any Shakespeare references 01:09:37.460 --> 01:09:40.479 in our podcasting? Like, then I've got a whole 01:09:40.479 --> 01:09:42.720 world. I was an AP English dude. I've got a world 01:09:42.720 --> 01:09:44.500 of Shakespeare references I can make if Romeo 01:09:44.500 --> 01:09:47.119 dobs is on this team. Just do it. But here's 01:09:47.119 --> 01:09:49.899 what I think holds that deal back. Jordan Love 01:09:49.899 --> 01:09:51.680 really loves throwing to him. That's like his 01:09:51.680 --> 01:09:54.520 security blanket, right? And that's, that's the 01:09:54.520 --> 01:09:57.039 thing. It wasn't, isn't it like Thurden Daub's 01:09:57.039 --> 01:10:01.319 is like in Green Bay and he is, he is that team's 01:10:01.319 --> 01:10:03.979 Cole Bishop in his, or Cole Beasley. I was just 01:10:03.979 --> 01:10:06.060 going to say the same thing. He is Cole. He is 01:10:06.060 --> 01:10:08.479 the Cole Beasley. He's their Cole Beasley in 01:10:08.479 --> 01:10:13.079 his prime. Yeah. Yeah. So, but it's a team you've, 01:10:13.140 --> 01:10:14.619 it's an organization you've done business with 01:10:14.619 --> 01:10:19.500 before. And I mean, if you pay him, you're not 01:10:19.500 --> 01:10:21.079 going to pay Watson, you're not going to pay 01:10:21.079 --> 01:10:23.899 Reed. And then what are you going to do with 01:10:23.899 --> 01:10:26.100 Golden when, because he's looked pretty good 01:10:26.100 --> 01:10:29.000 in his rookie season. Like, what are you going 01:10:29.000 --> 01:10:30.359 to do with him down the road if you're going 01:10:30.359 --> 01:10:34.020 to commit big money to Dow? So I think it could 01:10:34.020 --> 01:10:36.020 be a sneaky good move for the Bills to do. And 01:10:36.020 --> 01:10:38.739 it's not a name that Bills Mafia is like a sexy 01:10:38.739 --> 01:10:41.899 name for Bills Mafia. but you put him into this 01:10:41.899 --> 01:10:44.800 offense right away. Unlike a Chris Olave, who 01:10:44.800 --> 01:10:47.359 is a true number one and is going to command 01:10:47.359 --> 01:10:50.479 targets to maximize value. You can drop downs 01:10:50.479 --> 01:10:54.720 into this offense. He fixes a lot of the ills 01:10:54.720 --> 01:10:58.279 you have across the alignment and he's not going 01:10:58.279 --> 01:11:00.420 to command a ton of targets away from guys like 01:11:00.420 --> 01:11:03.180 Shakira. He also strikes me as the type of player 01:11:03.180 --> 01:11:05.380 who wouldn't mind getting his hands dirty with 01:11:05.380 --> 01:11:08.460 gritty run blocking. It's a, it's a, he comes 01:11:08.460 --> 01:11:11.039 from a Matt LaFleur offense. Yes. It's a skill 01:11:11.039 --> 01:11:13.439 of his. Yeah. Yes. Without a doubt. Yeah. I mean, 01:11:13.439 --> 01:11:15.460 you, you did it. You, you found a name that I 01:11:15.460 --> 01:11:17.899 would be like absolutely in on for the trade 01:11:17.899 --> 01:11:20.699 deadline, even for a third. Yeah. I would do 01:11:20.699 --> 01:11:22.180 it for a third. Cause I mean, what, what the 01:11:22.180 --> 01:11:23.359 hell are we going to do with our third round 01:11:23.359 --> 01:11:25.880 pick, right? We're going to pick another Dwayne 01:11:25.880 --> 01:11:29.140 Carter. Dude. Oh God. I love, can I just tell 01:11:29.140 --> 01:11:31.859 you though, Dwayne's Instagram is so entertaining. 01:11:32.199 --> 01:11:34.619 because he does all these food spots about like 01:11:34.619 --> 01:11:37.000 fat dudes love to eat, right? He's a pretty good 01:11:37.000 --> 01:11:39.539 cook too. I just, man, I liked Wayne Carter. 01:11:39.680 --> 01:11:41.439 I think you've just identified what he'll do 01:11:41.439 --> 01:11:44.619 after he flames out of the league. Jesus Christ. 01:11:44.720 --> 01:11:47.420 Open a food blog. That was not an intentional 01:11:47.420 --> 01:11:50.319 softball, but I nonetheless gave you one. Well, 01:11:50.479 --> 01:11:52.680 and that's I'm being a jerk. I'm being kind of 01:11:52.680 --> 01:11:55.880 a bully. He's injured right now, but I just looking 01:11:55.880 --> 01:11:57.739 at him in preseason before the injury came up, 01:11:57.739 --> 01:11:59.819 I was like, whoops, he's not going to do it. 01:12:00.579 --> 01:12:03.340 Oh, man. All right. We are we are winding it 01:12:03.340 --> 01:12:04.939 down here, dude. Where do you want to go? I've 01:12:04.939 --> 01:12:07.000 got a couple of other areas we could go. Obviously, 01:12:07.039 --> 01:12:09.220 we got to eventually get to this Panthers game. 01:12:09.640 --> 01:12:12.180 But because it was the bye week, typically what 01:12:12.180 --> 01:12:14.819 we do when we're on our normal recording schedule 01:12:14.819 --> 01:12:18.300 is we will give a lay of the land for our listeners 01:12:18.300 --> 01:12:21.039 about where the rest of the AFC currently sits 01:12:21.039 --> 01:12:23.800 and how it could or could not impact the bills 01:12:23.800 --> 01:12:25.720 when they come back from their buy. You want 01:12:25.720 --> 01:12:27.300 to do a little bit of that and then get into 01:12:27.300 --> 01:12:29.430 the Panthers? Yeah, let's let's hit the kind 01:12:29.430 --> 01:12:32.449 of AFC as a whole this in the league and then 01:12:32.449 --> 01:12:35.550 and then do a very quick, you know, Panthers 01:12:35.550 --> 01:12:38.270 preview. Sounds good. All right. Indianapolis 01:12:38.270 --> 01:12:40.010 Colts. Let's start there because they are currently 01:12:40.010 --> 01:12:43.369 the one seed in the AFC behind Danny Dimes, Daniel 01:12:43.369 --> 01:12:47.569 Jones, who looks absolutely resurgent with solid 01:12:47.569 --> 01:12:50.890 personnel around him and an innovative play caller 01:12:50.890 --> 01:12:53.979 in Shane Steichen. how nice that must be for 01:12:53.979 --> 01:12:57.359 Danny Dimes, who also because of the innovative 01:12:57.359 --> 01:13:00.579 creative play calling of his play caller, hits 01:13:00.579 --> 01:13:03.859 his first read on a 71 % play, which is highest 01:13:03.859 --> 01:13:08.939 in the league. Which it's like it is just like 01:13:08.939 --> 01:13:11.680 if anybody needs to know how much offensive coordinating 01:13:11.680 --> 01:13:14.260 and game planning matters, just look at that 01:13:14.260 --> 01:13:17.680 team. It's not like he magically became a super 01:13:17.680 --> 01:13:20.300 hyper elite talent at the quarterback position. 01:13:20.810 --> 01:13:23.329 It is that he has somebody in his corner who 01:13:23.329 --> 01:13:26.470 is creating a situation for his skill set where 01:13:26.470 --> 01:13:29.930 he almost can't get it wrong. Finding the right 01:13:29.930 --> 01:13:32.970 answer with the football is easy in that offense. 01:13:33.770 --> 01:13:35.609 Despite his best efforts, because I've watched 01:13:35.609 --> 01:13:38.689 a lot of indie tape, and he'll still make three 01:13:38.689 --> 01:13:41.010 or four throws downfield a game that you're like, 01:13:41.010 --> 01:13:43.369 man, that should be a pick. Yeah, that's a turnover 01:13:43.369 --> 01:13:46.649 where they play. Right. But no, to your point, 01:13:46.949 --> 01:13:51.609 the scheme matters. It maximizes all of the things 01:13:51.609 --> 01:13:54.789 that Jones does well, great complementary run 01:13:54.789 --> 01:13:58.130 game, stout offensive line, and oh yeah, they 01:13:58.130 --> 01:14:00.810 use play -action to create opportunities across 01:14:00.810 --> 01:14:03.229 the middle of the field and the short to intermediate 01:14:03.229 --> 01:14:06.970 areas for their QB to make easy throws. God, 01:14:07.250 --> 01:14:11.369 can we do play -action? Let's just pause for 01:14:11.369 --> 01:14:14.810 a moment and talk about how Brian Dable maybe 01:14:14.810 --> 01:14:21.430 isn't an offensive genius like he received the 01:14:21.430 --> 01:14:25.250 praise of being after QB whispering Josh Allen 01:14:25.250 --> 01:14:28.470 into an exceptional talent. I think that Josh 01:14:28.470 --> 01:14:30.770 Allen was going to be an exceptional talent regardless 01:14:30.770 --> 01:14:33.270 of who his offensive coordinator was, and Dable 01:14:33.270 --> 01:14:35.970 rode his coattails to a head coaching job. Okay. 01:14:36.149 --> 01:14:39.229 And listen, I like Dayball. Me and Logan talked 01:14:39.229 --> 01:14:41.149 about this during the bi -week when he came on 01:14:41.149 --> 01:14:47.029 to do his radiating praise of Jackson Dart, which 01:14:47.029 --> 01:14:48.970 we both did. We both broke down Dart and we were 01:14:48.970 --> 01:14:51.489 really impressed. But I asked him, I'm like, 01:14:51.630 --> 01:14:54.729 dude, is Dayball your guy? And he's like, no. 01:14:55.810 --> 01:14:58.949 He said, I think what Dart does... Like he doesn't 01:14:58.949 --> 01:15:01.050 necessarily do outside of coaching, but he's 01:15:01.050 --> 01:15:02.949 definitely not doing it because of Dayball is 01:15:02.949 --> 01:15:05.810 doing anything unique. Dar is just playing off 01:15:05.810 --> 01:15:08.289 of his skill set and talent and Kafka is doing 01:15:08.289 --> 01:15:10.890 a really good job designing that scheme. Yep. 01:15:11.470 --> 01:15:17.010 Is Brian Dayball the hot headed temperamental 01:15:17.010 --> 01:15:22.590 version of Adam Gase? Oh, that is such an interesting 01:15:22.590 --> 01:15:26.350 way to go with this. Gase only having ever been 01:15:26.350 --> 01:15:28.770 good with Peyton Manning, Dable only ever having 01:15:28.770 --> 01:15:31.850 been good with Josh Allen. Is he simply just 01:15:31.850 --> 01:15:34.229 a more charismatic, more angry version of Adam 01:15:34.229 --> 01:15:38.810 Gase? I mean, probably with way less high on 01:15:38.810 --> 01:15:43.939 shrooms press conferences. I don't know, man. 01:15:44.220 --> 01:15:47.720 Dable is maybe on LSD for some of his press conferences. 01:15:47.720 --> 01:15:50.720 Okay, yeah. So they both like to take a psychedelic 01:15:50.720 --> 01:15:53.180 here and there before a press conference. That's 01:15:53.180 --> 01:15:57.600 fine, too. That's not the extent of the limitation 01:15:57.600 --> 01:16:00.420 of their things in common. Like you said, elite 01:16:00.420 --> 01:16:03.800 quarterback gave them elite reputation, and they 01:16:03.800 --> 01:16:05.199 haven't been able to prove it anywhere else. 01:16:06.199 --> 01:16:08.619 This is true. This is true. So yeah, it could 01:16:08.619 --> 01:16:11.500 be a real thing But the Giants JJ are not on 01:16:11.500 --> 01:16:13.979 the AFC nor are they competitors for the AFC? 01:16:14.460 --> 01:16:18.500 So so moving on from Indy we have a very familiar 01:16:18.500 --> 01:16:22.239 team to us The Kansas City Chiefs who that offense 01:16:22.239 --> 01:16:25.279 looks scary and as we talked about earlier, they 01:16:25.279 --> 01:16:29.520 have they have again Andy Reid creatively reinventing 01:16:29.520 --> 01:16:33.279 himself as an offensive play caller Absolutely 01:16:33.279 --> 01:16:36.130 cooking in the run game at this point dialing 01:16:36.130 --> 01:16:39.489 up play action at a record rate for him. I mean, 01:16:39.510 --> 01:16:42.789 this offense is, it looks like the same old Chiefs 01:16:42.789 --> 01:16:44.689 from an output standpoint, but when we actually 01:16:44.689 --> 01:16:47.270 look at what they're putting on film, it's just 01:16:47.270 --> 01:16:49.510 Andy Reid getting deep into his playbook in his 01:16:49.510 --> 01:16:51.369 bag and they're doing stuff we have not seen 01:16:51.369 --> 01:16:55.369 this Chiefs team do in a very long time. Yeah, 01:16:55.489 --> 01:16:58.930 I mean, yeah, it's it's basically the they spent 01:16:58.930 --> 01:17:02.369 the first three or four weeks the season with 01:17:02.369 --> 01:17:06.100 no No appreciable run game and then it he just 01:17:06.100 --> 01:17:08.720 decided he was done with that and turned on found 01:17:08.720 --> 01:17:14.140 a run game and And the play action to you know 01:17:14.140 --> 01:17:18.500 out of run run sets to over -the -top fast wide 01:17:18.500 --> 01:17:22.500 receiver targets is It's what we dream of in 01:17:22.500 --> 01:17:25.760 the Buffalo Bills fandom, right? Wow, that looks 01:17:25.760 --> 01:17:28.569 like a scheme that would work for us, too That 01:17:28.569 --> 01:17:32.210 looks like fun for your generational QB. Yeah, 01:17:32.310 --> 01:17:35.930 and it's just like, okay, we have Curtis Samuel. 01:17:36.270 --> 01:17:38.949 Khalil Shakir is not a deep speed guy, but he 01:17:38.949 --> 01:17:41.810 can do some things, you know, deep crosser wise. 01:17:42.369 --> 01:17:45.569 It's just like, why do you have this ability? 01:17:46.189 --> 01:17:47.649 And seemingly we could do the same thing and 01:17:47.649 --> 01:17:49.710 we just choose not to, right? Like that's the 01:17:49.710 --> 01:17:52.439 thing. It's a choice. And here's the thing, after 01:17:52.439 --> 01:17:56.439 they... God, because we're always trailing the 01:17:56.439 --> 01:17:59.119 historic wake of the Kansas City Chiefs. They 01:17:59.119 --> 01:18:02.140 trade Tyreek Hill, and they win a Super Bowl, 01:18:02.380 --> 01:18:04.960 right? And they decide, you know what, we can 01:18:04.960 --> 01:18:08.039 just go with a collection of guys. And then immediately 01:18:08.039 --> 01:18:10.239 after they win their second Super Bowl with that 01:18:10.239 --> 01:18:15.180 Tyreek Hill, they start to see sort of the margins 01:18:15.180 --> 01:18:17.619 fray a little bit on that plan, and they immediately 01:18:17.619 --> 01:18:23.229 try to get... more help in for for Patrick Mahomes 01:18:23.229 --> 01:18:25.590 or like we do need more speed. We do need more 01:18:25.590 --> 01:18:28.930 versatility enter rice as a draft pick a couple 01:18:28.930 --> 01:18:31.670 years later enter worthy as a draft pick and 01:18:31.670 --> 01:18:34.109 you see what and signing of Hollywood Brown and 01:18:34.109 --> 01:18:36.350 you see what they're building to this just happens 01:18:36.350 --> 01:18:39.029 to be the first moment due to injury due to legal 01:18:39.029 --> 01:18:41.090 issues that these three guys have been on the 01:18:41.090 --> 01:18:43.189 field at the same time But this is something 01:18:43.189 --> 01:18:44.970 they've been building towards for a couple of 01:18:44.970 --> 01:18:49.390 years Now, sorry, go ahead. Yeah. Just to jump 01:18:49.390 --> 01:18:52.569 in and interrupt you very rudely. And two wide 01:18:52.569 --> 01:18:56.489 receivers they traded up for. Yes. Sorry. One 01:18:56.489 --> 01:18:59.609 of them, most notably with our guys. Yeah. Bills, 01:18:59.810 --> 01:19:03.449 right? There'll always be a point of comparison 01:19:03.449 --> 01:19:05.390 for poor Kian Coleman, no matter where he goes. 01:19:05.689 --> 01:19:07.289 So then the bills, they're like, you know what? 01:19:07.329 --> 01:19:10.489 The chiefs did that. We could do that too. Trade 01:19:10.489 --> 01:19:13.380 Stefan Diggs. everybody eats, have a bunch of 01:19:13.380 --> 01:19:16.779 guys, right? And they still seem to be slow to 01:19:16.779 --> 01:19:19.060 learn the lesson that the chiefs learned while 01:19:19.060 --> 01:19:21.939 winning that we have failed to learn while losing 01:19:21.939 --> 01:19:24.439 to the chiefs. That maybe you actually do need 01:19:24.439 --> 01:19:27.100 some speed, versatility and athleticism. And 01:19:27.100 --> 01:19:29.420 you can't just have a bunch of carbon copy cutouts 01:19:29.420 --> 01:19:31.739 of a bunch of slot guys to make up your wide 01:19:31.739 --> 01:19:36.039 receiver room, right? Man, it's just it's it's 01:19:36.039 --> 01:19:38.800 killer stuff. Oh, by the way. Did you, I tried 01:19:38.800 --> 01:19:40.539 to talk about this with Brandon, he didn't care. 01:19:41.659 --> 01:19:43.439 Did you hear the Chief's new wide receiver motto? 01:19:44.100 --> 01:19:47.680 No. Everybody gotta eat. Oh really? That's hilarious. 01:19:47.699 --> 01:19:50.659 I shit you not. EGE. Yep. Travis Kelsey was talking 01:19:50.659 --> 01:19:53.159 about it on his podcast. Him and Jason were breaking 01:19:53.159 --> 01:19:55.439 down the everybody gotta eat mentality. Okay. 01:19:55.460 --> 01:19:58.319 And I'm like, oh, you bastards. And that's the 01:19:58.319 --> 01:20:01.180 thing about the Chiefs, even when they win. They're 01:20:01.180 --> 01:20:03.760 just trolling other people because that's the 01:20:03.760 --> 01:20:06.439 stuff that gets them up in the morning for their 01:20:06.439 --> 01:20:09.819 games, right? They are trolling the Buffalo Bills. 01:20:10.439 --> 01:20:12.420 They're just here. They're just here to kind 01:20:12.420 --> 01:20:14.880 of hang out until the postseason, right? Like 01:20:14.880 --> 01:20:17.380 the regular season is an afterthought. I hate 01:20:17.380 --> 01:20:19.939 them. I really they are now in a hateable team 01:20:19.939 --> 01:20:22.859 category for me. Speaking of hateable teams, 01:20:22.920 --> 01:20:26.100 let's talk about the Patriots. JJ, you and I. 01:20:26.510 --> 01:20:30.050 Oh, thank you. I'm cooking on the segues tonight. 01:20:31.550 --> 01:20:34.670 I hate the Patriots. We suffered for them for 01:20:34.670 --> 01:20:38.710 20 years. This was supposed to be our time. And 01:20:38.710 --> 01:20:42.390 lo and behold, the Patriots have found their 01:20:42.390 --> 01:20:45.949 diet Josh Allen and Drake May. And that's not 01:20:45.949 --> 01:20:49.340 an insult, Patriots fans. Like he does everything. 01:20:49.399 --> 01:20:51.739 He does a lot of stuff that Josh does good. He's 01:20:51.739 --> 01:20:54.060 just a little bit smaller. He's a little bit 01:20:54.060 --> 01:20:56.199 younger. I don't think he's going to hurt all 01:20:56.199 --> 01:20:58.539 over guys when he's in the open field. Right. 01:20:59.020 --> 01:21:01.640 But there is a lot of what he can do, particularly 01:21:01.640 --> 01:21:03.779 when pressure that is a reminder of young Josh 01:21:03.779 --> 01:21:08.439 Allen. Um, and they're really well coached JJ. 01:21:08.640 --> 01:21:10.420 I put the Brandon put this question to me. I'm 01:21:10.420 --> 01:21:12.520 going to put it to you as Mike variable, the 01:21:12.520 --> 01:21:19.060 best coach in the AFC East as we speak. I don't 01:21:19.060 --> 01:21:22.300 think you could declare that at this time. And 01:21:22.300 --> 01:21:25.239 that's because Vrabel has a pretty spotty, if 01:21:25.239 --> 01:21:28.359 not kind of terrible postseason record. And I 01:21:28.359 --> 01:21:29.800 think that that matters. If you're going to rate 01:21:29.800 --> 01:21:31.920 coaches, you have to rate them when it really 01:21:31.920 --> 01:21:34.600 matters in crunch time in the postseason. And 01:21:34.600 --> 01:21:37.199 Vrabel has had some front running type teams 01:21:37.199 --> 01:21:40.039 he's brought into the postseason when he was 01:21:40.039 --> 01:21:42.920 with the Titans, who kind of puked all over themselves. 01:21:43.649 --> 01:21:46.229 Sober assessment. Did he ever lose a game to 01:21:46.229 --> 01:21:48.409 the Chiefs with 13 seconds left on the clock? 01:21:49.170 --> 01:21:56.229 No, he did not. Yes, so I point taken. My assessment 01:21:56.229 --> 01:21:59.810 was and it was not a I did not launch into a 01:21:59.810 --> 01:22:02.409 fire McDermott spiral. But like when you look 01:22:02.409 --> 01:22:06.670 for culture builder, team organizer, Max maximizes 01:22:06.670 --> 01:22:10.130 talent on the roster. Listen, man. We forget 01:22:10.130 --> 01:22:13.970 those those Titans teams ravaged by injury season 01:22:13.970 --> 01:22:17.609 after season. Ryan Tannehill at QB, like when 01:22:17.609 --> 01:22:19.989 you ultimately look at what variable was dragging 01:22:19.989 --> 01:22:22.550 into the postseason for those couple of years, 01:22:22.550 --> 01:22:25.449 he made it with the Titans. Dude, they were rosters 01:22:25.449 --> 01:22:28.010 that were a shell of themselves. That guy is 01:22:28.010 --> 01:22:31.810 able to maximize talent unlike any coach, I think 01:22:31.810 --> 01:22:35.010 currently in our division. And that is why I 01:22:35.010 --> 01:22:37.109 give him the edge over a guy like McDermott, 01:22:37.130 --> 01:22:40.590 who we just spent Good 45 minutes at the beginning 01:22:40.590 --> 01:22:43.609 of this pod talking about how they are so scheme 01:22:43.609 --> 01:22:47.869 rigid and not not not Accepting enough of how 01:22:47.869 --> 01:22:50.489 they can scheme for talent right scheme for their 01:22:50.489 --> 01:22:54.250 dudes Dude Frabel let's his guys cook right there 01:22:54.250 --> 01:22:57.689 is structure. There is organization But all of 01:22:57.689 --> 01:23:00.430 it is taking into account what his guys on the 01:23:00.430 --> 01:23:04.569 field are gonna succeed at right? Yeah And that's 01:23:04.569 --> 01:23:06.409 why that's why I gave him the edge. But yeah, 01:23:06.630 --> 01:23:09.229 you're not wrong and I But again, and I think 01:23:09.229 --> 01:23:12.289 that, you know, in a reality where he has a really 01:23:12.289 --> 01:23:14.390 strong, that's the other thing. That's the thing 01:23:14.390 --> 01:23:16.069 that I think, you know, you're kind of talking 01:23:16.069 --> 01:23:18.949 me into it. Frabel's also coaching, he's coached 01:23:18.949 --> 01:23:20.789 the Patriots to this point of the season to the 01:23:20.789 --> 01:23:23.569 first place in the FC East with what I would 01:23:23.569 --> 01:23:26.590 still consider a pretty poor roster. They have 01:23:26.590 --> 01:23:28.430 not rebuilt this thing completely. Like they 01:23:28.430 --> 01:23:30.989 hit on the QB, but their wide receiver core is 01:23:30.989 --> 01:23:34.829 like old and, you know, not super, you know, 01:23:35.270 --> 01:23:39.010 effective and They've kind of patched it together 01:23:39.010 --> 01:23:41.750 in some ways on their offensive line. So, yeah. 01:23:42.550 --> 01:23:44.550 I mean, I'm worried about it. It's tough, right? 01:23:45.109 --> 01:23:48.069 Yeah. It's tough. It shouldn't be this much of 01:23:48.069 --> 01:23:50.489 a debate for a guy who's only been in the division 01:23:50.489 --> 01:23:53.090 for six games. Or seven games. It shouldn't be 01:23:53.090 --> 01:23:55.489 this much of a debate. But it's also, you're 01:23:55.489 --> 01:23:57.930 comparing it to the Buffalo Bills who have Sean 01:23:57.930 --> 01:24:01.750 McDermott who has done nothing but fail against 01:24:01.750 --> 01:24:04.010 the Chiefs in the playoffs with quote unquote 01:24:04.010 --> 01:24:06.390 his defense. Right. I mean, that's the thing. 01:24:06.390 --> 01:24:08.670 Yeah. I mean, I hear a lot of, there's a lot 01:24:08.670 --> 01:24:10.989 of chatter that like in the off season, we should, 01:24:11.149 --> 01:24:13.829 if the bills fail again in the post season or 01:24:13.829 --> 01:24:15.470 God forbid, don't make it to the post season. 01:24:15.989 --> 01:24:18.949 You don't fire McDermott you, but you mandate 01:24:18.949 --> 01:24:21.609 kind of like what, uh, Howie Roseman did with 01:24:21.609 --> 01:24:24.590 Nick Sirianni a couple of years ago. You need 01:24:24.590 --> 01:24:26.550 to bring in coordinators that are not you. You 01:24:26.550 --> 01:24:29.350 need to bring in coordinators that are anti your 01:24:29.350 --> 01:24:33.250 philosophy, right? Um, but we don't have the 01:24:33.250 --> 01:24:35.840 personnel to do that. Like this, this personnel 01:24:35.840 --> 01:24:38.300 has been built for McDermott system. You're not 01:24:38.300 --> 01:24:41.220 going to bring in like, uh, like a Jesse mentor 01:24:41.220 --> 01:24:44.300 or you're not going to bring in like, um, um, 01:24:44.300 --> 01:24:46.779 uh, Mike Flores. And all of a sudden you're going 01:24:46.779 --> 01:24:49.119 to have this high blitz man coverage scheme, 01:24:49.840 --> 01:24:52.199 right? Um, you don't have the talent for it, 01:24:52.279 --> 01:24:55.239 right? It's not going to be that easy. Like McDermott 01:24:55.239 --> 01:24:59.430 and McDermott's DNA is up and down this roster. 01:24:59.489 --> 01:25:02.310 It's not just about changing out the the coordinators 01:25:02.310 --> 01:25:05.810 at this point, right? Yeah, man, but the Patriots 01:25:05.810 --> 01:25:08.579 are in first place They've got a cupcake schedule 01:25:08.579 --> 01:25:11.439 down moving on. They are not a great team to 01:25:11.439 --> 01:25:13.439 your point. This is a team with some holes, but 01:25:13.439 --> 01:25:15.140 they are the ones that the Bills need to chase 01:25:15.140 --> 01:25:18.079 at this point. Yep. Steelers, I think we can 01:25:18.079 --> 01:25:20.180 just say that the defense is still pretty scary. 01:25:20.619 --> 01:25:22.939 Aaron Rodgers is going to throw two or three 01:25:22.939 --> 01:25:25.119 pickable balls a game. And if you're the Buffalo 01:25:25.119 --> 01:25:26.819 Bills, you got to take advantage of that, right? 01:25:27.000 --> 01:25:29.579 You got to catch those balls. Any other any other 01:25:29.579 --> 01:25:31.920 also rams you want to talk about, like the chart, 01:25:31.979 --> 01:25:34.560 like there's the Chargers, their offensive line 01:25:34.560 --> 01:25:37.060 is kind of a mess that might get healthy. Bo 01:25:37.060 --> 01:25:40.899 Nix only really seems to play for 12 good minutes 01:25:40.899 --> 01:25:44.359 a game. Yeah. Yeah. Although if, although if 01:25:44.359 --> 01:25:46.279 it's the fourth quarter he had against the Giants 01:25:46.279 --> 01:25:48.619 where he puts up 33 points, that is kind of scary, 01:25:48.619 --> 01:25:52.520 right? He, yeah, he's such a high variance quarterback. 01:25:53.220 --> 01:25:56.300 He can do like he seemingly can do the Josh Allen 01:25:56.300 --> 01:26:00.659 last five minutes against the Ravens in any nine 01:26:00.659 --> 01:26:03.279 to 10 minute span of any game. It's just the 01:26:03.279 --> 01:26:04.659 consistency. And it's the same thing. I mean, 01:26:04.659 --> 01:26:07.600 he's still young, so he has talent. And I think 01:26:07.600 --> 01:26:11.140 that he's probably going to be pretty good. Yeah. 01:26:11.180 --> 01:26:13.180 I mean, I don't have much to say about any of 01:26:13.180 --> 01:26:15.460 those other teams, I think, other than the season 01:26:15.460 --> 01:26:18.420 is long, right? Like we saw a lot of teams, six, 01:26:18.420 --> 01:26:20.380 seven, eight games into the season last year 01:26:20.380 --> 01:26:22.159 who you're like, oh, they're toast. They're cooked. 01:26:22.899 --> 01:26:25.260 Even it wasn't the chiefs were in like pretty 01:26:25.260 --> 01:26:28.640 poor position in the first four or five games 01:26:28.640 --> 01:26:33.140 of the season and turned it around. And so The 01:26:33.140 --> 01:26:35.659 Ravens, I think, are the team that I'm the least 01:26:35.659 --> 01:26:37.720 worried about because the Bills have a head -to 01:26:37.720 --> 01:26:40.220 -head against them. And with Lamar Jackson's 01:26:40.220 --> 01:26:42.239 injury and with some of the other injuries they've 01:26:42.239 --> 01:26:44.579 piled up, they look like they're pretty vulnerable 01:26:44.579 --> 01:26:45.760 in their own division. They're at the bottom 01:26:45.760 --> 01:26:48.220 of their own division right now. So it's a matter 01:26:48.220 --> 01:26:50.380 of, you know, as Lamar Jackson, I think he's 01:26:50.380 --> 01:26:52.520 supposed to come back this weekend. We'll see. 01:26:52.840 --> 01:26:56.239 But if he's slow to come back or, you know, God 01:26:56.239 --> 01:26:58.819 forbid for them, he injures himself again or, 01:26:58.819 --> 01:27:02.060 you know, reaggravates something. They're in 01:27:02.060 --> 01:27:05.199 tough shape of making the postseason. Dude, yeah. 01:27:05.319 --> 01:27:07.520 Oh, I said Mike Flores. I meant Brian Flores. 01:27:07.539 --> 01:27:09.159 Brian Flores. I thought you did. I was like, 01:27:09.439 --> 01:27:12.039 I just assumed that you just had so much more 01:27:12.039 --> 01:27:14.439 coaching knowledge than I did. I was like, I 01:27:14.439 --> 01:27:16.659 don't know who Mike Flores is. Isn't that a guy 01:27:16.659 --> 01:27:19.880 on the end? Now what's talk if I wanted to get 01:27:19.880 --> 01:27:21.760 fancy out of front out Kelvin Shepherd who's 01:27:21.760 --> 01:27:24.819 doing an Amazing job with that's not too fancy 01:27:24.819 --> 01:27:26.960 because I tracked that guy's whole career and 01:27:26.960 --> 01:27:30.479 he is he's been awesome He's the line goods that 01:27:30.479 --> 01:27:33.739 guy is the goods. Oh my god. God. I wish I had 01:27:33.739 --> 01:27:37.779 we had somebody Oh my god. Anyways. All right. 01:27:37.819 --> 01:27:41.520 Yeah, I agree Are you ready to move into a very 01:27:41.520 --> 01:27:43.380 quick preview of the Carolina Panthers? Because 01:27:43.380 --> 01:27:45.439 we've been cooking here for a while, and it's 01:27:45.439 --> 01:27:48.260 time to land this plane. All right, man, Carolina 01:27:48.260 --> 01:27:51.300 Panthers, I'm just going to give you the overalls 01:27:51.300 --> 01:27:53.239 on this one. We'll talk about some quick matchups 01:27:53.239 --> 01:27:55.539 here. I mean, listen, the Bills are favored by 01:27:55.539 --> 01:27:58.000 seven in this game. F you, Vegas, that's all 01:27:58.000 --> 01:27:59.739 I have to say. Stop giving the Bills these big 01:27:59.739 --> 01:28:01.899 spreads. The over -under is a little bit lower 01:28:01.899 --> 01:28:04.460 than it has been in the past few Bills games, 01:28:04.579 --> 01:28:07.880 46 and a half. This is an indication to me that 01:28:07.979 --> 01:28:11.000 for whatever reason, based on no proof whatsoever 01:28:11.000 --> 01:28:13.159 of Buffalo Bill's play, that they think they're 01:28:13.159 --> 01:28:14.939 going to hold the four and three Carolina Panthers 01:28:14.939 --> 01:28:18.060 to a lower scoring affair on defense. Listen, 01:28:18.180 --> 01:28:20.439 man, the Panthers are plucky. They're three and 01:28:20.439 --> 01:28:24.359 one in close games, games decided by one score 01:28:24.359 --> 01:28:27.260 or less. And I mean, they've got some dudes, 01:28:27.560 --> 01:28:30.779 Derrick Brown, Rico on the defensive side, Rico 01:28:30.779 --> 01:28:34.340 Doddle, Chuba Hubbard, whether or not it's Dalton 01:28:34.340 --> 01:28:36.960 or Bryce Young. Dalton's gonna get the ball out 01:28:36.960 --> 01:28:38.979 of his hands quick. I actually think that's a 01:28:38.979 --> 01:28:41.979 slightly worse matchup for the Bills It's one 01:28:41.979 --> 01:28:43.899 of those situations where people looking at the 01:28:43.899 --> 01:28:45.899 game and going like oh the Bills are gonna Pull 01:28:45.899 --> 01:28:48.159 a backup QB for this one. I don't know if that's 01:28:48.159 --> 01:28:49.859 better. I don't think that's a good Yeah, I don't 01:28:49.859 --> 01:28:51.819 think it's a good thing I think a young Bryce 01:28:51.819 --> 01:28:53.739 Young is a little bit of a better matchup for 01:28:53.739 --> 01:28:56.340 the Bills and for McDermott's defense than Andy 01:28:56.340 --> 01:28:58.439 Dalton Who's just gonna try to deal to them to 01:28:58.439 --> 01:29:00.479 the best answer with the football as fast as 01:29:00.479 --> 01:29:03.789 he can And that is exactly the kryptonite for 01:29:03.789 --> 01:29:07.369 this defense is like they do not have press man 01:29:07.369 --> 01:29:09.529 capabilities. They do not have tight coverage 01:29:09.529 --> 01:29:11.590 within the first three or four seconds of a play 01:29:11.590 --> 01:29:15.289 structure. And that is that is dice you up territory 01:29:15.289 --> 01:29:18.210 for this team. Dice you up and then run you with 01:29:18.210 --> 01:29:21.270 two really capable running backs. And listen, 01:29:21.430 --> 01:29:24.430 man, the formula that that has beaten the bills 01:29:24.430 --> 01:29:27.050 the past couple of weeks. Shut down James Cook. 01:29:27.229 --> 01:29:29.989 shut down the run and make the Buffalo Bills 01:29:29.989 --> 01:29:32.689 wide receiver room beat you. Yeah. The Panthers 01:29:32.689 --> 01:29:36.470 can absolutely replicate. They have allowed only 01:29:36.470 --> 01:29:41.000 a 29 .6 % success rate. on opposing team rushes 01:29:41.000 --> 01:29:43.680 this season, and a second only to the Cleveland 01:29:43.680 --> 01:29:46.739 Browns. This is a team that lives off stuffing 01:29:46.739 --> 01:29:49.539 the run. They've got JC Horn on the outside. 01:29:49.680 --> 01:29:51.939 They've got some plucky other guys in that secondary. 01:29:52.420 --> 01:29:54.779 And this is a team that's competing for their 01:29:54.779 --> 01:29:56.979 division. They're looking to go five and three. 01:29:58.899 --> 01:30:01.060 Listen the Buffalo Bills are a lot of these teams 01:30:01.060 --> 01:30:02.979 Super Bowl. They're they're measuring stick game 01:30:02.979 --> 01:30:05.300 And this is another team that the bills are going 01:30:05.300 --> 01:30:06.859 to be playing it's going to come in with high 01:30:06.859 --> 01:30:10.380 energy a young coach Lots of talented pieces 01:30:10.380 --> 01:30:13.810 around with a scheme that matches I think this 01:30:13.810 --> 01:30:15.710 one's going to be trouble for the Bills. Well, 01:30:15.810 --> 01:30:18.869 it's it's in some ways it's a lot like this feels 01:30:18.869 --> 01:30:21.130 a lot like the Atlanta Falcons in that this is 01:30:21.130 --> 01:30:22.770 a team that's been picking in the top 10 for 01:30:22.770 --> 01:30:25.630 the past several years. And some of those young, 01:30:25.770 --> 01:30:28.210 talented top 10 players are starting to come 01:30:28.210 --> 01:30:32.649 into their own. You know, I think that it was 01:30:32.649 --> 01:30:36.430 I think it was the the beat reporter for the 01:30:36.430 --> 01:30:38.510 Panthers who was on one bills live who said that 01:30:38.510 --> 01:30:40.430 J .C. Horne looked like he was playing board 01:30:40.430 --> 01:30:42.489 this season because they just weren't throwing 01:30:42.489 --> 01:30:44.710 at him. And then when teams chose to, when the 01:30:44.710 --> 01:30:47.770 Jets chose to throw at him, he bagged two interceptions 01:30:47.770 --> 01:30:50.989 in the second half last week. So like it's, it's 01:30:50.989 --> 01:30:55.350 not, if you're asking what things are bad for 01:30:55.350 --> 01:30:57.710 the Buffalo Buzz offense, it's teams that are 01:30:57.710 --> 01:30:59.670 good at stuffing the run and teams that have 01:30:59.670 --> 01:31:01.930 elite outside corners. And that's it. And end 01:31:01.930 --> 01:31:05.130 of list. Then you have Nick Scowerton, who looks 01:31:05.130 --> 01:31:07.270 like he's a steal of a pickup where they got 01:31:07.270 --> 01:31:11.140 him in the draft. coming off the edge, you know, 01:31:11.380 --> 01:31:12.979 it's one of those things. I don't know if you 01:31:12.979 --> 01:31:14.399 get this, but I get this all the time where I'm 01:31:14.399 --> 01:31:17.720 just like, is Brandon being like really, really 01:31:17.720 --> 01:31:20.579 bad at drafting? Because like all these teams 01:31:20.579 --> 01:31:22.720 are getting elite. You know what I mean? Like, 01:31:23.079 --> 01:31:25.779 I know, I know. We always praise him for being 01:31:25.779 --> 01:31:30.359 able to find solid role playing, contributing 01:31:30.359 --> 01:31:33.479 players who are starting caliber in any round 01:31:33.479 --> 01:31:36.300 of the draft. But it just seems like the bills. 01:31:36.619 --> 01:31:40.920 never, other than maybe Dalton Kincaid, it's 01:31:40.920 --> 01:31:44.199 like they don't ever find a stud. Josh Allen, 01:31:44.520 --> 01:31:48.619 James Cook, Dalton Kincaid, end of list. End 01:31:48.619 --> 01:31:52.939 of list. Like, you could say Ed Oliver is well 01:31:52.939 --> 01:31:55.680 above average, is like, is in the top tier defensive 01:31:55.680 --> 01:31:58.659 tackles individual talent -wise, but he was like, 01:31:58.739 --> 01:32:00.239 what, the eighth or ninth pick in the draft? 01:32:00.340 --> 01:32:03.439 Like, that's where he's supposed to be. No, without 01:32:03.439 --> 01:32:08.050 a doubt. I don't I don't I don't we've gone so 01:32:08.050 --> 01:32:10.970 negative in this pod. I don't listen man the 01:32:10.970 --> 01:32:13.090 the bill I've been I've said listen man like 01:32:13.090 --> 01:32:14.850 12 times in this I'm like because I'm trying 01:32:14.850 --> 01:32:17.630 to talk myself into into believing in this team 01:32:17.630 --> 01:32:20.109 I'm not a dark place. I know I'm not saying listen 01:32:20.109 --> 01:32:23.250 man to you. I'm literally coaxing myself like 01:32:23.250 --> 01:32:27.069 hey listen, man It can be okay. Yeah, it could 01:32:27.069 --> 01:32:29.409 be okay I mean the reality of the success of 01:32:29.409 --> 01:32:31.989 this team has been that they've been to the playoffs 01:32:31.989 --> 01:32:36.899 in consecutive years It's been a run of success 01:32:36.899 --> 01:32:39.199 we haven't seen since you and I were kids with 01:32:39.199 --> 01:32:45.399 this team, right? And that is not divorced from 01:32:45.399 --> 01:32:49.020 the GM's roster building ability, right? At some 01:32:49.020 --> 01:32:51.819 point, yes, we've got a generational QB, but 01:32:51.819 --> 01:32:54.500 other stuff's got to work around him. And Bean 01:32:54.500 --> 01:32:57.479 has made more stuff work than he has not worked. 01:32:57.939 --> 01:33:01.319 I think the past two years of drafts, you could 01:33:01.319 --> 01:33:04.659 even go three if you wanted to, It's been lean 01:33:04.659 --> 01:33:07.939 that 2424 draft listen You cannot afford to whiff 01:33:07.939 --> 01:33:11.100 on 10 picks if you are paying a QB like this 01:33:11.100 --> 01:33:14.619 if you are Signing guys to mid -level extensions 01:33:14.619 --> 01:33:17.140 like you're signing like the bills are you cannot 01:33:17.140 --> 01:33:20.359 afford to whiff on on 10 picks? But if you take 01:33:20.359 --> 01:33:23.680 the totality of beans draft history He's built 01:33:23.680 --> 01:33:26.220 a roster that's won five straight AFC championships 01:33:26.220 --> 01:33:29.539 and has been on the cusp of a Super Bowl. That's 01:33:29.539 --> 01:33:33.899 That is good GM in generally, right? Fine, you're 01:33:33.899 --> 01:33:37.760 right All right, but yes and listen if you were 01:33:37.760 --> 01:33:41.220 to give brain, I mean listen, maybe the better 01:33:41.220 --> 01:33:46.460 way to Listen man, I know I'm like listen now 01:33:46.460 --> 01:33:48.979 I'm talking myself out of it If you were to give 01:33:48.979 --> 01:33:51.220 Brandon being the amount of top ten picks that 01:33:51.220 --> 01:33:54.220 like let's say the Falcons had sure Do you have 01:33:54.220 --> 01:33:55.939 the confidence in being that who would be able 01:33:55.939 --> 01:33:58.699 to identify? The level of talent needed to build 01:33:58.699 --> 01:34:02.189 a superstar roster That's maybe a better question 01:34:02.189 --> 01:34:04.850 because we know across seven rounds. He's a great 01:34:04.850 --> 01:34:07.289 draft He's a great drafter sure, but in those 01:34:07.289 --> 01:34:09.670 premium picks those first hundred hundred picks 01:34:09.670 --> 01:34:12.149 He's had a lot. That's where all that's where 01:34:12.149 --> 01:34:15.350 almost all of his misses are So if Brandon Bean 01:34:15.350 --> 01:34:18.090 were to draft in the top ten, do we have any 01:34:18.090 --> 01:34:20.350 confidence that he could draft an elite roster? 01:34:21.489 --> 01:34:25.149 Maybe that uh, so let's look at his top ten draft 01:34:25.149 --> 01:34:29.340 picks at Oliver Josh Allen. Yeah Yeah, yeah, 01:34:29.340 --> 01:34:30.819 you're right. You're right. Yeah. Yeah, like 01:34:30.819 --> 01:34:33.920 those are the only two Yeah, I mean, but let's 01:34:33.920 --> 01:34:36.880 like expand upon that to other first -round picks 01:34:36.880 --> 01:34:40.920 Kyrie alum see but why would we because where 01:34:40.920 --> 01:34:43.659 he took when he took Kyrie alum if he was in 01:34:43.659 --> 01:34:45.380 the top 20s Yeah, if he was in the top 10, he 01:34:45.380 --> 01:34:48.439 would add JC horn This is true. But would he 01:34:48.439 --> 01:34:51.479 have drafted JC horn? That's like, we don't know. 01:34:51.979 --> 01:34:53.779 I don't know, man. We don't know because he's 01:34:53.779 --> 01:34:56.439 never been there. But we should know. We should 01:34:56.439 --> 01:34:58.180 know. We should know that if you're in the top 01:34:58.180 --> 01:35:00.600 10, you would draft to Marchase. Right. Yeah. 01:35:00.840 --> 01:35:04.039 And not like Nelson Elglo or Aguilar. Right. 01:35:04.239 --> 01:35:06.020 Well, and that's the thing. It's like it's the 01:35:06.020 --> 01:35:08.159 what if machine. Like, you know, can we go back 01:35:08.159 --> 01:35:10.640 and give the Bills a top five selection in the 01:35:10.640 --> 01:35:13.039 past three years and see what they take? It's 01:35:13.039 --> 01:35:15.140 so unhelpful. It's so unhelpful. All right. Let's 01:35:15.140 --> 01:35:17.680 let's get off this downward spiral. All right. 01:35:17.699 --> 01:35:20.069 Let's let's do our own. Oh, you go ahead. I was 01:35:20.069 --> 01:35:23.029 going to do another fun segue. Oh, go for it. 01:35:23.109 --> 01:35:25.909 I don't want to break that. But speaking of what 01:35:25.909 --> 01:35:29.729 if machines, what if the Bills end up losing 01:35:29.729 --> 01:35:34.470 this game to the Carolina Panthers? To Mark, 01:35:34.710 --> 01:35:37.050 the first time that Sean McDermott has lost off 01:35:37.050 --> 01:35:39.609 of by and the first time his entire tenure with 01:35:39.609 --> 01:35:41.569 the Bills that he's had a three game losing streak. 01:35:41.810 --> 01:35:44.170 Those are the two things that would. I mean, 01:35:44.170 --> 01:35:48.090 at that point. At that point, I think there are 01:35:48.090 --> 01:35:50.609 parts of Bill's mafia that literally fold up 01:35:50.609 --> 01:35:53.090 their folding tables and put them away. They're 01:35:53.090 --> 01:35:56.710 not even jumping through anymore. They slowly 01:35:56.710 --> 01:36:00.090 wipe off their Bill's face paint and put on a 01:36:00.090 --> 01:36:03.130 buttoned up shirt and go to their office job. 01:36:04.130 --> 01:36:08.800 Oh, man. Oh, my God. I listen, I think the bills 01:36:08.800 --> 01:36:11.020 are going to win. But in the range of outcomes 01:36:11.020 --> 01:36:14.039 for this game, I mean, I think a loss is I think 01:36:14.039 --> 01:36:16.439 a loss is higher probability than Vegas wants 01:36:16.439 --> 01:36:19.500 to admit. Oh, I think so, too. I think it's completely 01:36:19.500 --> 01:36:22.560 reasonable. I'm I'm in a world where it's a coin 01:36:22.560 --> 01:36:25.119 flip. Like, I don't think there's any guarantee 01:36:25.119 --> 01:36:26.739 that the bills are going to pull this one out. 01:36:26.739 --> 01:36:29.579 I think that it's it's a situation where the 01:36:29.579 --> 01:36:32.079 in the same ways that the defense is built in 01:36:32.079 --> 01:36:34.500 a way that perfectly counteracts the bills offense. 01:36:35.299 --> 01:36:37.859 their offense is built in a way that absolutely 01:36:37.859 --> 01:36:41.520 destroys the Bills defense. Two capable runners 01:36:41.520 --> 01:36:48.840 in Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdell, a solid wide 01:36:48.840 --> 01:36:53.100 receiver core, the best tight end from this entire 01:36:53.100 --> 01:36:54.920 draft class who was picked in the fifth round. 01:36:55.100 --> 01:36:59.159 so far, right? Out of Notre Dame, Mitchell Evans. 01:37:00.300 --> 01:37:02.739 And yeah, so it's a situation where you look 01:37:02.739 --> 01:37:05.539 at this team and it's like, I can see why they're 01:37:05.539 --> 01:37:09.039 on a three -game heater and just chomping at 01:37:09.039 --> 01:37:11.840 the bit to play somebody who's considered a contender 01:37:11.840 --> 01:37:15.880 so that they can validate their rise. And so 01:37:15.880 --> 01:37:22.199 yeah, I am in no way chalking this one up. Michael 01:37:22.199 --> 01:37:25.880 Hoyt, Larry Ogunjobi, potentially Max Harrison, 01:37:26.960 --> 01:37:29.560 could see snaps, could see reps in this game. 01:37:29.960 --> 01:37:32.380 And these are the reinforcements we have been 01:37:32.380 --> 01:37:35.220 told, be patient, be patient. Wait till we have 01:37:35.220 --> 01:37:38.619 all of our guys back on defense. Terrell Bernard, 01:37:38.779 --> 01:37:41.779 limited in practice. Matt Milano, limited. Rapp 01:37:41.779 --> 01:37:44.119 did not practice. I'm actually okay with that 01:37:44.119 --> 01:37:46.739 if he doesn't play at this point. I'm ready to 01:37:46.739 --> 01:37:50.949 see Jordan Hancock in that role. Jokes on you, 01:37:51.069 --> 01:37:52.390 it's going to be Jordan Poirier in that role. 01:37:52.909 --> 01:37:55.909 Best I can do is a 32 -year -old Jordan Poirier. 01:37:56.010 --> 01:38:00.010 Jesus Christ. Oh, my God. I know, and Bill's 01:38:00.010 --> 01:38:01.789 fans are clamoring for Gabe Davis, too. Have 01:38:01.789 --> 01:38:03.810 we forgotten how things ended with both of these 01:38:03.810 --> 01:38:09.289 guys? But anyways, what if any impact do you 01:38:09.289 --> 01:38:12.670 think Hoyt, Ogunjobi, and Harrison may have if, 01:38:12.670 --> 01:38:18.170 let's assume all three get snaps? Ogunjobi, minimal. 01:38:18.409 --> 01:38:22.489 I think he was rotational at best. I think he's 01:38:22.489 --> 01:38:25.310 probably just a hair better than Jordan Phillips 01:38:25.310 --> 01:38:28.890 at this point in his career. So, Ogunjobi is 01:38:28.890 --> 01:38:33.590 maybe an okay contribution, but no needle mover 01:38:33.590 --> 01:38:36.909 there. I could see Hoyt showing up just from 01:38:36.909 --> 01:38:39.329 the way he looked in pre -season, showing up 01:38:39.329 --> 01:38:42.550 out of the gate, bagging two sacks and giving 01:38:42.550 --> 01:38:46.279 everyone in Bill's Mafia. this like bright ray 01:38:46.279 --> 01:38:49.300 of hope that we have a defensive stud that we 01:38:49.300 --> 01:38:52.100 found on the free agent heap, right? Second coming 01:38:52.100 --> 01:38:54.579 of Bruce Smith. Right. Yeah. I can, I can see, 01:38:54.800 --> 01:38:57.220 no, the better comp, and this is going to dig 01:38:57.220 --> 01:38:59.840 pretty deep back into the annals is second coming 01:38:59.840 --> 01:39:03.560 of Bryce Pop. Ooh, okay. Yes. Defensive player 01:39:03.560 --> 01:39:07.520 of the year. He benefited from being lined up 01:39:07.520 --> 01:39:11.270 across from or around Bruce Smith. I see that 01:39:11.270 --> 01:39:13.670 situation where defenses are paying a lot more 01:39:13.670 --> 01:39:16.010 attention to Joey Bosa and a now healthy Greg 01:39:16.010 --> 01:39:19.989 Rousseau. And then Hoyt has the opportunity to 01:39:19.989 --> 01:39:22.090 kind of like, especially if he's rushing on the 01:39:22.090 --> 01:39:25.050 interior or they bump Rousseau inside, man, Hoyt 01:39:25.050 --> 01:39:28.210 could eat up at that point. Do you think they're 01:39:28.210 --> 01:39:32.029 gonna, I mean, the beauty of Hoyt in the LA defense 01:39:32.029 --> 01:39:34.420 was that... They lined him up pretty much everywhere. 01:39:34.560 --> 01:39:36.979 He didn't take a ton of traditional edge snaps. 01:39:37.460 --> 01:39:39.460 He played a lot of outside linebacker. I think 01:39:39.460 --> 01:39:41.899 the Rams ran a three, four last year base defense, 01:39:41.939 --> 01:39:46.260 but he was basically able to be that, that fourth 01:39:46.260 --> 01:39:49.300 or fifth pass rusher or provide you with that 01:39:49.300 --> 01:39:53.899 odd man front from the outside linebacker positions. 01:39:54.520 --> 01:39:57.180 Do you, I mean, I just, you know, Earlier on 01:39:57.180 --> 01:39:58.699 the pod. I said, you know what? I think the bills 01:39:58.699 --> 01:40:01.260 are done with base. Maybe they go to nickel, 01:40:01.659 --> 01:40:03.979 but do you think they run more of a quote unquote 01:40:03.979 --> 01:40:08.479 base package with Hoyt is like the Sam linebacker, 01:40:08.600 --> 01:40:10.060 right? And then all of a sudden he becomes the 01:40:10.060 --> 01:40:13.039 fifth man on your front. And now you've got Rousseau 01:40:13.039 --> 01:40:15.140 Hoyt rushing from the same side. Bosa rushing 01:40:15.140 --> 01:40:18.199 from the other to create opportunities. I can 01:40:18.199 --> 01:40:20.579 absolutely see that because I think in the same 01:40:20.579 --> 01:40:24.720 way that I think the defensive design Babbage 01:40:24.720 --> 01:40:28.319 had in mind when he started the season was that. 01:40:28.579 --> 01:40:31.260 And it was a, let's use Dorian Williams. Remember 01:40:31.260 --> 01:40:33.479 like Dorian Williams got the start in the 4 -3 01:40:33.479 --> 01:40:35.619 to start the season, played very poorly for the 01:40:35.619 --> 01:40:38.569 first two weeks. was taken out of favor and then 01:40:38.569 --> 01:40:41.109 brought back because of injuries and has played 01:40:41.109 --> 01:40:44.050 better, thankfully. But I think that the initial 01:40:44.050 --> 01:40:46.029 defensive design was we're going to get by with 01:40:46.029 --> 01:40:48.529 Dorian Williams in that 4 -3 position as like 01:40:48.529 --> 01:40:52.029 the positionless rusher type. And until we get 01:40:52.029 --> 01:40:54.029 Hoyt back, because I think that's how they intend 01:40:54.029 --> 01:40:56.750 to use him, exactly how you describe. And in 01:40:56.750 --> 01:40:59.369 the same way that it was going to be like, oh, 01:40:59.449 --> 01:41:03.010 Hairston's on an island, Benford is playing the 01:41:03.010 --> 01:41:06.409 QB watching zone. they had to have Benford play 01:41:06.409 --> 01:41:08.770 on an island with Trey doing the QB watching 01:41:08.770 --> 01:41:13.069 zone. It's not worked, right? I think that that's 01:41:13.069 --> 01:41:15.310 part of the whole, hey, everybody have patience, 01:41:15.649 --> 01:41:17.850 reinforcements are coming, right? Because the 01:41:17.850 --> 01:41:20.949 sense is for this defense, when we get Hoyt and 01:41:20.949 --> 01:41:23.130 Hairston back and then even Ogunjobi to some 01:41:23.130 --> 01:41:25.710 extent to eat up, because Ogunjobi is good in 01:41:25.710 --> 01:41:29.609 terms of that Daquan Jones whole plugger, keep 01:41:29.609 --> 01:41:32.270 bodies, keep your linebackers clean. place that's 01:41:32.270 --> 01:41:34.270 I mean that's all he did when he was with with 01:41:34.270 --> 01:41:39.390 the Steelers and so I can see him the Bengals 01:41:39.390 --> 01:41:41.909 I can see him playing in that in that kind of 01:41:41.909 --> 01:41:45.750 role and so yeah I would say absolutely expect 01:41:45.750 --> 01:41:48.890 to see more 4 -3 with Hoyt but expect it to be 01:41:48.890 --> 01:41:52.649 a missed like a mix simulated pressure so four 01:41:52.649 --> 01:41:54.449 guys are common but it's not the four guys that 01:41:54.449 --> 01:41:57.920 you think yeah And I think that that could be 01:41:57.920 --> 01:42:01.579 enough to get a veteran QB like Andy Dalton off 01:42:01.579 --> 01:42:05.199 his timing. Or if Young, and I don't think Young's 01:42:05.199 --> 01:42:06.739 playing, I think they've already ruled him out. 01:42:07.000 --> 01:42:09.399 Or a younger QB, I think back to the Michael 01:42:09.399 --> 01:42:11.939 Penick's game, who looked completely unbothered 01:42:11.939 --> 01:42:15.300 by our pass rush, enough to get a young QB, at 01:42:15.300 --> 01:42:18.020 least off his spot in the pocket, right? So I 01:42:18.020 --> 01:42:20.800 do think Hoyt could, if used the right way, could 01:42:20.800 --> 01:42:22.619 potentially move the needle a little bit on this 01:42:22.619 --> 01:42:25.770 defense and do He's a great run defender like 01:42:25.770 --> 01:42:29.210 he has a plus run defender as well. And God knows 01:42:29.210 --> 01:42:32.449 they could use that like I'd rather him. I'd 01:42:32.449 --> 01:42:34.390 rather him even if they're only running a two 01:42:34.390 --> 01:42:37.590 linebacker set. I'd rather him fit run gaps than 01:42:37.590 --> 01:42:40.510 like Cole Bishop running down to crash like a 01:42:40.510 --> 01:42:42.810 290 pound tackle or something like that, you 01:42:42.810 --> 01:42:46.550 know. Yep. So yeah. Yep. So all right. You want 01:42:46.550 --> 01:42:48.489 to get to prediction sure to go wrong. Let's 01:42:48.489 --> 01:42:50.710 do it. All right. Let's do it, man. All right. 01:42:50.829 --> 01:42:54.029 So I mentioned already spread. I mentioned over 01:42:54.029 --> 01:42:55.550 under. I'll give them to you again one more time. 01:42:55.630 --> 01:42:58.829 The Bills, mystifyingly favored by seven points 01:42:58.829 --> 01:43:02.529 in this game on the road in Carolina. Over under 01:43:02.529 --> 01:43:09.869 on this, 46 .5. JJ, score prediction. Bills minus 01:43:09.869 --> 01:43:13.130 seven in the over under is what? 46 .5. Okay, 01:43:13.229 --> 01:43:20.489 46 .5. I'm going to lean on history and the... 01:43:20.680 --> 01:43:24.319 and McDermott being excellent off the buy, and 01:43:24.319 --> 01:43:26.600 McDermott never having three losses in a row 01:43:26.600 --> 01:43:29.460 and getting this team oriented and focused for 01:43:29.460 --> 01:43:32.880 this one. But I don't think the Bills win by 01:43:32.880 --> 01:43:34.899 seven. I think that it's gonna be a little bit 01:43:34.899 --> 01:43:42.840 closer of an affair. So I'm gonna say Bills 27, 01:43:44.060 --> 01:43:47.500 Panthers 21. Ooh, I've got the same panther score. 01:43:47.500 --> 01:43:49.600 I have a different bill score. Okay. I've got 01:43:49.600 --> 01:43:53.859 bills 24 panthers 21 We have seen the bills just 01:43:53.859 --> 01:43:56.020 like you know and we ought we gloss over this 01:43:56.020 --> 01:43:58.479 a little bit But we have seen the bills come 01:43:58.479 --> 01:44:00.819 off the by and kind of sleepwalk through the 01:44:00.819 --> 01:44:03.739 first half of their gate returns And I think 01:44:03.739 --> 01:44:05.779 with a young plucky team like that that's gonna 01:44:05.779 --> 01:44:07.699 be enough to put the bills potentially behind 01:44:07.699 --> 01:44:10.859 I think the game script for this is gonna be 01:44:11.320 --> 01:44:13.739 like other Bills game scripts we have seen where 01:44:13.739 --> 01:44:16.859 the first half is Infuriatingly close and then 01:44:16.859 --> 01:44:18.800 the Bills eventually wake up in the second half 01:44:18.800 --> 01:44:22.239 and slowly begin to pull away But there's only 01:44:22.239 --> 01:44:23.840 so many times if you're the Bills you can play 01:44:23.840 --> 01:44:26.460 with fire in that way. I hope I'm wrong That's 01:44:26.460 --> 01:44:28.699 what we call a prediction sure to go wrong I 01:44:28.699 --> 01:44:31.439 want this to be a 50 -point blowout But part 01:44:31.439 --> 01:44:33.359 of me too is like maybe the Bills are thinking 01:44:33.359 --> 01:44:35.859 about the Chiefs after this game. Yeah, I think 01:44:35.859 --> 01:44:37.920 they I think they absolutely are looking ahead. 01:44:38.279 --> 01:44:41.159 I don't think the bills, no matter what they 01:44:41.159 --> 01:44:43.399 say about, oh, it's a one -week league. We're 01:44:43.399 --> 01:44:46.600 going to take everything as it comes. There's 01:44:46.600 --> 01:44:50.640 no way they didn't do some install in preparation 01:44:50.640 --> 01:44:55.149 to that Chiefs game while over the interim. the 01:44:55.149 --> 01:44:59.090 break. This is an NFC team. It's a team potentially 01:44:59.090 --> 01:45:00.529 playing with their backup quarterback. Even if 01:45:00.529 --> 01:45:02.689 it is Andy Dalton, we think that's a worse matchup. 01:45:03.189 --> 01:45:05.149 There's, you know, there's bound to be things 01:45:05.149 --> 01:45:06.810 that the Bills think they can get done here. 01:45:07.350 --> 01:45:10.069 But yeah, I think that seeing people in Bills 01:45:10.069 --> 01:45:11.989 Mafia commenting like, oh, they're going to wipe 01:45:11.989 --> 01:45:14.229 the floor with the Panthers and move on because, 01:45:14.430 --> 01:45:17.430 you know, look for, I don't, don't expect to 01:45:17.430 --> 01:45:19.789 see that. This isn't the Panthers from Bryce 01:45:19.789 --> 01:45:22.479 Rungs. Young's rookie year where they were looking 01:45:22.479 --> 01:45:25.199 to go winless, like, because they had no offensive 01:45:25.199 --> 01:45:27.739 line. This is a team that, you know, has really 01:45:27.739 --> 01:45:29.720 pulled things together in a lot of ways. And 01:45:29.720 --> 01:45:34.899 I think we undersell McDermott's place in Panther's 01:45:34.899 --> 01:45:36.699 history. This is a team that does not have a 01:45:36.699 --> 01:45:39.520 ton of history relative to a lot of other teams 01:45:39.520 --> 01:45:43.630 in the league, but McDermott was a beloved Defensive 01:45:43.630 --> 01:45:47.050 coordinator that helped take them to their only 01:45:47.050 --> 01:45:49.789 Super Bowl that they've ever been to yeah Brandon 01:45:49.789 --> 01:45:52.369 Bean played a huge role in this front office 01:45:52.369 --> 01:45:56.229 and building that squad like these are two guys 01:45:56.229 --> 01:46:00.069 Coming in on the opposing side that are our members 01:46:00.069 --> 01:46:03.770 of your history And as an organization, I am 01:46:03.770 --> 01:46:05.909 sure there's going to be some extra juice in 01:46:05.909 --> 01:46:08.789 this game to like, yes, honor these legends, 01:46:08.850 --> 01:46:12.010 but also show them like it's a new era and turn 01:46:12.010 --> 01:46:16.449 the page on them. Right. Yep. So yeah, there's 01:46:16.449 --> 01:46:19.689 a lot, but I think 24, 21 bills. Yeah, that's 01:46:19.689 --> 01:46:22.550 where I'm at. All right. Um, I've got a, I've 01:46:22.550 --> 01:46:24.569 got one prop for you. I've got one for you too. 01:46:24.789 --> 01:46:28.449 Okay. You go first. All right. Michael Hoyt. 01:46:28.539 --> 01:46:33.319 Plus plus minus half a sack I don't think anyone 01:46:33.319 --> 01:46:36.720 on this team can get sex. So I'm gonna say under 01:46:36.720 --> 01:46:40.739 I again and I'm Positive, I think there's upside 01:46:40.739 --> 01:46:44.840 to Hoyt I'm more curious about where his alignment 01:46:44.840 --> 01:46:46.220 on the field is going to be. Because if they're 01:46:46.220 --> 01:46:49.399 just going to put him in a traditional backup 01:46:49.399 --> 01:46:52.859 edge role, I think they are absolutely wasting 01:46:52.859 --> 01:46:55.619 any creativity or imagination they could have 01:46:55.619 --> 01:46:58.739 behind his placement. But I don't think anyone's 01:46:58.739 --> 01:47:00.920 seen him get a sack. So that's just where I'm 01:47:00.920 --> 01:47:04.340 at. That's just how little I trust them to do 01:47:04.340 --> 01:47:08.079 anything. All pressure, no sacks, baby. That's 01:47:08.079 --> 01:47:12.610 a better motto since 2018. That's right. All 01:47:12.610 --> 01:47:16.069 right. Here's mine. Max Harris. Oh, go ahead. 01:47:16.470 --> 01:47:18.090 Dan, there are other ways to affect the quarterback. 01:47:19.800 --> 01:47:23.140 I I like listen, I never played football. So 01:47:23.140 --> 01:47:25.600 call me a man of simple tastes I think the weight 01:47:25.600 --> 01:47:27.760 best way to affect the quarterback is to knock 01:47:27.760 --> 01:47:30.300 him on the ground as much as you can and Create 01:47:30.300 --> 01:47:32.680 loss of yardage. But what do I know? Well, you 01:47:32.680 --> 01:47:34.819 know, it's a non football player. I'm just a 01:47:34.819 --> 01:47:38.619 dumb podcaster All right. Here's my here's my 01:47:38.619 --> 01:47:40.439 prop bet for you. And then we will mercifully 01:47:40.439 --> 01:47:46.500 on this episode Max Ariston over under 25 and 01:47:46.500 --> 01:47:50.279 a half percent of the snap share Ooh, put 5 % 01:47:50.279 --> 01:47:58.579 snaps. I'm going to say, I hate saying this because 01:47:58.579 --> 01:48:01.539 I hate this so much. I'm going to say under, 01:48:01.819 --> 01:48:03.979 and worse yet, I'm going to say he's inactive. 01:48:04.359 --> 01:48:06.739 Yeah, I'm saying the same thing. I think he's 01:48:06.739 --> 01:48:09.659 a healthy scratch, which means he's almost certainly 01:48:09.659 --> 01:48:11.359 going to be a healthy scratch for the Chiefs 01:48:11.359 --> 01:48:14.689 game. Yep. And I think it's absolutely the wrong 01:48:14.689 --> 01:48:16.210 thing to do. But again, what do I know? I'm just 01:48:16.210 --> 01:48:18.430 a dumb podcast. Just a dumb podcaster. I don't 01:48:18.430 --> 01:48:20.670 know why. Yeah. Yeah, we should. You're right. 01:48:20.770 --> 01:48:24.170 We should win wins matter. Keep our, you know, 01:48:24.310 --> 01:48:27.529 first round talented CB and bubble wrap. Yep, 01:48:27.609 --> 01:48:30.350 absolutely. But I think I think it goes hand 01:48:30.350 --> 01:48:32.630 in hand. I think if he is a healthy scratch for 01:48:32.630 --> 01:48:35.529 this game, there is no way his debut is against 01:48:35.529 --> 01:48:37.770 the Kansas City Chiefs. No, there's no way. Yeah. 01:48:37.770 --> 01:48:39.329 And I think he's a healthy scratch for this game. 01:48:39.329 --> 01:48:41.010 I don't think he debuts against the Chiefs. And 01:48:41.010 --> 01:48:45.310 I think that their plan, their strategy. Again, 01:48:45.409 --> 01:48:48.189 we're just dumb podcasters, but it's really important 01:48:48.189 --> 01:48:49.729 that they keep him healthy for when they miss 01:48:49.729 --> 01:48:53.750 the playoffs. Oh, man. That's a podcast in and 01:48:53.750 --> 01:48:55.989 of itself. What happens if they miss the playoffs? 01:48:56.189 --> 01:48:58.670 What happens if they lose in the wild card round? 01:49:00.609 --> 01:49:05.090 To the Patriots. To the Patriots? What if the 01:49:05.090 --> 01:49:07.670 Patriots go on a Washington commanders like run 01:49:07.670 --> 01:49:11.960 to the AFC championship this year? And they win 01:49:11.960 --> 01:49:14.180 against the Chiefs as the only team since like, 01:49:14.180 --> 01:49:17.000 what, 2020 when the Bengals did it to do that? 01:49:17.239 --> 01:49:20.439 If Drake May plays the Chiefs in the postseason 01:49:20.439 --> 01:49:24.979 and beats them on his first try, dude, dude, 01:49:26.039 --> 01:49:31.710 dude, I can't even, I can't even. I can't even, 01:49:31.890 --> 01:49:35.130 we need to end this. We're done. We're done. 01:49:35.210 --> 01:49:37.609 It's getting too bleak, too dark. Oh my god. 01:49:37.989 --> 01:49:40.510 Well, alright. Yep, I'd like to say it was fun, 01:49:40.770 --> 01:49:43.710 but goddamn man, that was a rough note to end 01:49:43.710 --> 01:49:46.170 on. For all of you still, for whatever reason, 01:49:46.270 --> 01:49:48.329 listening at home, why would you be? For whatever 01:49:48.329 --> 01:49:50.890 reason. Like, share, and subscribe wherever you 01:49:50.890 --> 01:49:53.710 get your pods. We are on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, 01:49:54.189 --> 01:49:55.930 and as always, go Bills. Go Bills.